Celiac Disease, by definition, is a digestive condition triggered by the consumption of the protein gluten, which is found in bread, pasta, cookies, pizza crust, and many other foods containing wheat, barley, or rye. Once a person with celiac disease eats foods containing gluten, an immune reaction occurs in the small intestine, resulting in damage to the surface of the small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients from food. Therefore, a person must be exposed to gluten before they can ever develop Celiac Disease.
Celiac Disease is often inherited; If someone in your immediate family has it, chances are 5 percent to 15 percent that you may as well. It can occur at any age, although problems don’t appear until gluten is introduced into the diet. However, exposure to gluten may not trigger Celiac Disease. Often for unknown reasons, the disease emerges after some form of trauma: an infection, a physical injury, the stress of pregnancy, severe stress, or surgery.
Many people who experience some, all, or non of the symptoms of Celiac Disease do not necessarily have the disease, but rather are suffering from gluten intolerance. The key factor in having a diagnosis of Celiac Disease is specific damage to the small intestine.
Celiac Disease occurs when there is damage to the villi located in your small intestine. Villi are tiny, hair-like projections resembling the deep pile of a plush carpet on a microscopic scale. Villi work to absorb vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from the food you eat. In a person with Celiac Disease, gluten attack and destroy the villi. Without villi, the inner surface of the small intestine becomes less like a plush carpet and more like a tile floor, and your body is unable to absorb the nutrients necessary for health and growth. Instead, nutrients such as fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals are eliminated from your stool. Eventually, decreased absorption of nutrients (malabsorption) can cause vitamin deficiencies that deprive your brain, peripheral nervous system, bones, liver, and other organs of vital nourishment, which can lead to other illnesses. The decreased nutrient absorption that occurs in celiac disease is especially serious in children, who need proper nutrition to develop and grow.
People with celiac disease carry higher than normal levels of certain antibodies (anti-gliadin, anti-endomysium, and anti-tissue transglutaminase). In people with celiac disease, their immune systems may be recognizing gluten as a foreign substance and produce elevated levels of antibodies to get rid of it. A blood test can detect high levels of these antibodies and is used to initially detect people who are most likely to have the disease and who may need further testing. To confirm the diagnosis, your doctor may need to do an endoscopy to examine a small portion of intestinal tissue to check for damage to the villi.
The key to a diagnosis of Celiac Disease is exposure to gluten and damage to the small intestine. Having a family member with the disease increases the risk of having the disease. If you are concerned you may be at risk for the disease, even if you are not currently exhibiting symptoms you can ask your doctor for a blood test to determine if your anti-gliadin, anti-endomysium, and anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies are elevated.
For more information on Celiac Disease, visit MayoClinic.com.
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