You may be hearing or reading a lot about Celiac Disease recently. Several celebrities have it and have been talking about it, and it seems to be all over the news.The results of a recent Mayo Clinic study have found that celiac disease is four times more common today than it was in the 1950’s (see reference below).

Celiac disease is a hereditary condition that is caused by an intolerance of gluten.This is a wheat protein. If a celiac patient is exposed to gluten it causes inflammation and destruction of the lining of the small intestine. This leads to malnutrition.

Symptoms can include:

* abdominal bloating and pain
* chronic diarrhea
* vomiting
* constipation
* pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stool
* weight loss
* unexplained iron-deficiency anemia
* fatigue
* bone or joint pain
* arthritis
* bone loss or osteoporosis
* depression or anxiety
* tingling numbness in the hands and feet
* seizures
* missed menstrual periods
* infertility or recurrent miscarriage
* canker sores inside the mouth
* an itchy skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis

Although these symptoms can be a part of other diseases of the gastrointestinal track, the diagnosis of celiac disease is relatively easy to make with a series of blood tests. The treatment sounds easy, but it can be tough to stick to. A celiac patient must avoid gluten. When they do, the small intestine can heal and the symptoms abate.The problem is that gluten is in a lot of foods. It can be found as filler in medications and is commonly used in lip balms.

If you have many of the above symptoms, it would be a good idea to get checked out. Treating celiac disease early can help to avoid a lot of problems and the fix is pretty simple (well, sort of!)

Reference:

“Increased Prevalence and Mortality in Undiagnosed Celiac Disease.”
Alberto Rubio-Tapia, Robert A. Kyle, Edward L. Kaplan, Dwight R. Johnson, William Page, Frederick Erdtmann, Tricia L. Brantner, W. Ray Kim, Tara K. Phelps, Brian D. Lahr, Alan R. Zinsmeister, L. Joseph Melton, Joseph A. Murray.