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Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is an autoimmune response to dietary gluten that damages the intestinal lining. Dietary gluten is found in wheat, oats, rye and barley as well as finished products derived from these ingredients.

Facts About Celiac Disease

  • Celiac disease is not an allergy, it's a food sensitivity affecting 1 in every 100 people worldwide
  • Celiac disease is twice as common as Crohn's, colitis and cystic fibrosis combined
  • Up to 1⁄3 of celiac disease patients have been previously diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome

Common Symptoms

  • Recurring abdominal bloating and pain
  • Chronic diarrhea
  • Weight loss
  • Unexplained anemia (low count of red blood cells)
  • Gas
  • Bone pain
  • Behavior changes
  • Muscle cramps
  • Fatigue
  • Delayed growth
  • Failure to thrive in infants
  • Pain in the joints
  • Seizures
  • Tingling numbness in the legs (from nerve damage)
  • Pale sores inside the mouth, called aphthus ulcers
  • Painful skin rash, called dermatitis herpetiformis
  • Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
  • Reproductive issues (miscarriages, infertiltiy)
  • Missed menstrual periods (often because of excessive weight loss)

Celiac disease affects people differently. If you or someone you know has been experiencing one or more these symptoms, contact your physician for a proper diagnosis.