Coeliac disease
Coeliac disease occurs when the immune system destroys your tissues while eating gluten. This destroys your gut (small intestine) by stopping your body from absorbing enough nutrients.
Coeliac disease can cause diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and bloating, among other symptoms.
An allergic response to gluten, a dietary protein present in wheat, barley and rye, causes coeliac disease.
- Pasta, pastries, and morning cereals.
- Most varieties of bread
- Certain sauces.
- Certain ready meals.
Symptoms
Gluten-containing meals can cause a variety of stomach problems, including:
- Diarrhoea, which might have an unpleasant smell.
- Stomach pain.
- Bloating and excessive farting (flatulence).
- Constipation and indigestion.
- Tiredness (fatigue) caused by a lack of nutrients.
- Unintentional weight loss.
- An itchy rash (dermatitis herpetiformis).
- Infertility.
- Damage to the nerves.
- Ataxia – Disorders that affect speech, balance, and coordination.
Causes
Coeliac disease is a type of autoimmune condition. This occurs when the body’s immune system wrongly harms healthy tissues.
In celiac disease, the body’s immune system attacks components present in gluten as it perceives that they are a risk to the body. This affects the surface of the small intestine, affecting the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food.
It is unknown what causes the immune system to respond this way; however, genes and outside factors tend to play a role.
Diagnosis
Testing is generally only recommended for individuals who exhibit symptoms or are at a higher risk of acquiring the celiac disease, especially those with a family record of the condition.
First-degree relatives of celiac disease patients should be examined.
Treatment
Although there is no cure for celiac disease, avoiding gluten in your diet can help manage symptoms and prevent long-term consequences.
Changing your diet is still advised even if you only experience minor symptoms since continuing to consume gluten might result in major consequences. If you do have symptoms of the disease, you should make sure to eat a balanced, healthful diet while avoiding gluten.