Gluten Intolerance – The Basics
Gluten intolerance, or celiac disease, is an inherited condition. It is an autoimmune disease in which the villi of the small intestine are flattened. The villi are small projections that absorb nutrients as food passes through the intestines. They can be damaged by eating gluten-rich foods that contain wheat, rye, barley, and possibly even oats. There are many people that are unaware that they have this condition, since the symptoms vary widely from person to person. General practitioner physicians find celiac disease difficult to diagnose, so there are many tests needed in order to pinpoint the cause of some common symptoms.
The symptoms can include, but are not limited to:
- Unexplained weight loss. This can also be found with other medical conditions such as cancer or chronic viral infections.
- Bone and joint pain. Quite often, doctors have the first impression of arthritis or injury.
- Depression. Usually this is attributed to psychological and environmental factors.
- Muscle cramps. This can also be a symptom of dehydration.
- Nosebleeds. Most often thought to be a result of high blood pressure.
- Seizures. Quite often, seizures are suffered after a head injury or in children with birth defects such as Down Syndrome.
- Skin Disorders. Conditions such as dermatitis or herpetiformis can be caused by bacteria, viruses, or allergens.
- Vitamin and mineral deficiency. This can be due to not eating a complete and healthy diet, and may materializes in patients that are following some fad diets.
- Hypoglycemia. This can be a condition related to an overabundance of insulin secreted by the pancreas, or can indicated poor eating habits.
- Hair loss. This can be attributed to genetics, other medical treatments, or diet.
- Short stature. Some people are genetically predisposed to a short stature.
- Irritability. This symptom can have causes such as sleep deprivation, hormonal changes, or daily stress levels.
As you can see, some of the symptoms of celiac disease are common to other conditions, making a diagnosis of the condition difficult. Not all people display all of these symptoms, so other conditions are usually diagnosed and treated without success before celiac disease is even considered. A diagnosis can take a long time, even years for some people. Persistent symptoms should be a clue to doctors and patients alike that more testing and closer scrutiny of the combination of symptoms should be explored in order to begin treatment as soon as possible.
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