What is Celiac Disease?

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac Disease also called celiac sprue is a chronic digestive disorder that is caused by an intolerance to gluten. Gluten is a component of wheat (including drum, semolina, and spelt) rye, oats, barley, and related grain hybrids such as triticale and kamut. It also appears to have a strong genetic component.
The small intestine is damages when a person with celiac disease consumes gluten. The theory is that the body responds to gluten as if it was an antigen and launches an immune system attack when it is absorbed by the intestine. This in turn causes the lining of the small intestine to swell. As a result, tiny, hair like projections called villi are basically destroyed, which impairs the body’s ability to absorb vital nutrients. The body stops absorbing the good stuff in the food, and the loss of vitamins, minerals, and calories results in malnutrition despite an adequate diet. Then diarrhea adds to the problem. Because the disease impairs digestion, food allergies may also appear (how do you know if you have food allergies? Try our food allergy diet)

When do you show signs of the disease? It affects both adults and children and it can appear at any age, but you may discover it at two very distinct times in your life. A very common age range is during the first 3 years of life after cereals are introduced into the diet. Studies have shown that breast-feeding may have a preventative effect, and that the introduction of cow’s milk and cereal grains into the child’s diet at an early age may be directly related to the child developing this disease. Another common age range is the third decade of life. The disease can be triggered by emotional stress or physical trauma such as a surgery or pregnancy.
What are the symptoms?
The first signs are usually diarrhea, weight loss, and nutritional deficiencies. Other symptoms can include nausea: abdominal swelling: large pale yellow colored stools that float; depression, fatigue; irritability; muscle cramps; and joint and or bone pain.
Children
Infants or children may exhibit stunted growth, vomiting, an intense burning sensation of the skin and a red itchy skin rash called “dermatitis herpetiformis. A baby with celiac disease may gain weight more slowly than normal or may lose weight. The infant may have a poor appetite, gas, and offensive smelling bowel movements. The child is likely to have an anemic undernourished appearance. Ulcers may develop in the mouth.
If left untreated celiac disease can be quite serious, even life threatening. Bone disease, such as osteoporosis, central and peripheral nervous system impairment, seizures caused by inadequate absorption of folic acid, internal hemorrhaging, pancreatic disease, infertility, miscarriages and birth defects and gynecological disorders are just some of the long term modalities that can affect those with celiac disease. Certain autoimmune disorders can be associated with celiac disease, including kidney disease (nephrosis), Scarcoidosis ( the formation of lesions in the lungs, bones, skin, and other places), insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, systematic lupus erythermatosus , thyroid disease and rarely chronic active hepatitis, scleroderma, myasthenia gravis, Addison’s disease, Rheumatoid arthritis, and sjojren’s syndrome
How you can be tested for the disease?
It is hard to be tested for the disease because symptoms are similar to those of other diseases.

Test include: Blood testing, and a biopsy of intestinal tissue
Herbs: Alfalfa, Olive leaf, Golden seal