Symptoms of Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is one of the less predictable conditions. With different manifestations and with different patterns of evolution, celiac disease has posed significant problems to the medical environment. Furthermore, until recently there were debates about the existence of this disease. Yet, the celiac disease exists and the high number of people suffering from gluten intolerance can confirm it.
Celiac disease is a long term condition that affects people of all ages, causing significant discomfort in all age categories. Left untreated for a long period of time it may lead to anemia, Dermatitis Herpetiformis and an overall state of numbness.
Symptoms of Celiac Disease in Children
The youngest celiac sufferers can be only 6 months old, as this is the time when cereals and dishes containing gluten are introduced in baby’s alimentation. Immediate symptoms associated with gluten intolerance in children are bloating, abdominalpain, vomiting, chronic diarrhea or constipation and flatulence. If the condition is not addressed immediately (usually it takes time for celiac disease to be diagnosed), weight loss, malnutrition and improper growthand development appear, all these due to the incapacity of the small intestine to absorb nutrients necessary for a proper function of the human body.
More serious conditions, such as autism, Sjogren’s Disease and Turner’s syndrome are associated with celiac disease. While the doctors are not 100% sure of the cause-effect relationship between celiac disease and the occurrence of the above mentioned conditioned, there are enough evidences showing that left untreated, celiac disease may cause irremediable harm to children of all ages.
Symptoms of Celiac Disease in Adults
Celiac disease in adults is commonly mistaken by irritated bowel syndrome or other intestinal problems, since they have some symptoms which may overlap. Abdominal pain, bloating, foul smelling stools, vomiting and constipation are present in adults suffering from celiac disease. To these one should add anemia (due to the lack of necessary nutrients), weight loss, nausea, bone pain and bone density loss, arthritis, joint pain, depression, irritability, menstrual problems and infertility (sometimes miscarriage).
Other problems associated with celiac disease include dental problems, vitamin and mineral deficiencies, lactose intolerance and hair loss.
Long time sufferers of celiac disease have affirmed that they experienced an overall weakening of their bodies and malfunction of their organs. Some have dealt with canker wounds in their mouths as well as numbness in their hand and feet.
There have also been cases in which patients have experienced few to none of the symptoms mentioned above, but their body was getting weaker and weaker as time went by. Thus, if you feel like you are running out of energy and have one or more of the symptoms listed above, go see your doctor for a routine check-up and ask for a celiac disease test too. It may improve your life considerably!