Celiac disease: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis
Celiac disease or celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to gluten , a complex of nitrogenous substances that is formed during the mixing, with water, of the flour of some cereals , such as wheat , spelt , kamut , barley , rye , spelt and triticale .
Strictly speaking, celiac disease is not a disease, but a simple condition which requires the simultaneous presence of a genetic predisposition and the consumption of foods containing gluten to manifest itself.
Symptoms
Celiac disease: Symptoms and Complications of the disease
Celiac disease is a subtle disease , with somewhat confusing and varied symptoms; by interfering with the absorption of nutrients , in fact, it affects many organs and tissues, causing numerous negative consequences.
For this reason, celiac disease is clinically classified into different types depending on the symptoms it presents.
In many cases, it correlates with very mild symptoms, so much so that the patient lives with these problems for years without actually realizing the anomaly ( silent celiac disease ).
Among the symptoms most frequently related to this disease are:
- Anemiadue to deficiency of minerals ( iron ) or vitamins ( vitamin B12 , folic acid );
- Early osteoporosis due to reduced calcium absorption and vitamin Ddeficiency which in the most serious cases can lead to bone fractures following minor trauma ;
- Oral aphthosis(that phenomenon that leads to the formation of small rounded and annoying plaques on the oral mucous membranes ) and more generally dermatitis herpetiformis (a particular blistering lesion of the skin );
- Headachesand general malaise associated with weakness;
- Problems of a psychological nature such as anxiety, irritability and depression ;
- Abdominal bloating, colitis , intermittent diarrhea , flatulence , cramps;
- Increase in transaminases, particular enzymes of liver origin.
Complications of Celiac Disease
If it is not diagnosed in time and adequately treated, celiac disease can lead to very serious phenomena, especially at a young age ( typical celiac disease ).
The progressive destruction of the intestinal villi , in fact, leads to important and sometimes irreversible diseases such as infertility , repeated abortions , growth arrest , hypothyroidism , alopecia , diabetes and intestinal tumors .
Furthermore, celiac disease can be associated with other autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis .
As well as at the end of weaning , celiac disease can also arise or worsen in adulthood due to significant physical or psychological stress (maternity, trauma and accidents, intestinal infections, surgical operations).
Gluten intolerance can be accompanied by further food allergies or intolerances such as lactose ; in these cases, the list of permitted foods is further impoverished, creating quite a few inconveniences for the patient.
Causes and Risk Factors
What Factors Favor the Onset of Celiac Disease
First of all, it is good to remember that celiac disease only occurs, but not necessarily, in genetically predisposed individuals .
For this reason, those individuals who have at least one relative affected by celiac disease have a greater risk of contracting it.
The pathology arises more easily in the presence of other autoimmune diseases and more generally, in conditions of prolonged physical weakness.
Diet also plays a fundamental role in the onset of celiac disease and the poorer it is in gluten, the lower the risk of its onset.
Diagnosis
Tests for the Diagnosis of Celiac Disease: How to Recognize the Disease
The similarity with other diseases makes celiac disease difficult to diagnose .
Especially when it appears in adulthood , numerous specialist visits are necessary before realizing that the origin of the disorders is linked to its presence.
In other cases, it may happen that the patient convinces himself that the symptoms are normal by failing to report them to the doctor; also for this reason it is estimated that at least 300,000 Italians live with celiac disease every day without being aware of it.
Since in the presence of celiac disease there is a considerable increase in the production of specific antibodies , a simple blood test can help the diagnosis.
In case of a positive blood test, only a biopsy of the intestinal epithelium can confirm the actual presence of the pathology.
This diagnostic technique is based on the collection of a small sample of tissue by inserting a thin and long tube orally .
However, the simplest way to diagnose celiac disease is to suspend the intake of gluten-containing foods and check whether or not there is a regression of the symptoms.
