The autoimmune condition known as celiac disease is brought on by eating gluten. 

Nontropical sprue, celiac sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy are all other names for it.

A protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains is called gluten. It is what gives bread its chewy texture and makes dough elastic.

When someone with celiac disease consumes gluten, their body overreacts to the protein and damages their villi, which are projections the size of small fingers that run along the wall of their small intestine.

Your small intestine is unable to properly absorb nutrients from food when your villi are damaged. This can eventually result in malnourishment, bone loss, miscarriage, infertility, neurological diseases, and even certain cancers.

Refractory celiac disease, also known as nonresponsive celiac disease, occurs when celiac disease does not improve after avoiding gluten for at least a year.

The majority of celiac disease sufferers are unaware of their condition. It is believed by researchers that only 20% of people with the disease receive the appropriate diagnosis. It can take years to get a diagnosis because the damage to your intestine occurs very slowly and the symptoms are so diverse.

Gluten intolerance and sensitivity are distinct conditions that are distinct from celiac disease. Some of the same symptoms may occur in people with gluten intolerance, who may wish to avoid gluten. However, neither an immune response nor damage to the small intestine can be observed.

Celiac Disease Symptoms

Celiac disease and food allergies are distinct conditions, their symptoms differ.

If you are allergic to wheat but consume wheat-containing food, you may experience difficulty breathing or itchy, watery eyes.

Celiac disease symptoms in adults

If you have celiac disease and accidentally eat something with gluten in it, you may have symptoms including:

• Abdominal pain

• Anemia

• Bloating or a feeling of fullness

• Bone or joint pain

• Constipation

• Diarrhea

• Gas

• Heartburn

• Itchy, blistery rash (doctors call this dermatitis herpetiformis)

• Headaches or fatigue

• Mouth ulcers

• Nausea

• Nervous system injury, including numb or tingling hands or feet, balance problems, or changes in awareness

• Poop that’s pale, smells especially bad, or floats (steatorrhea)

• Weight loss

Celiac disease can also cause a loss of bone density and reduced spleen function (hyposplenism).

Celiac disease symptoms in children

Children with celiac disease are more likely to have intestinal problems, including:

• Bloating or belly swelling

• Constipation

• Diarrhea

• Pale, foul-smelling poop

• Upset stomach or vomiting

• Weight loss

If celiac disease keeps a child’s body from absorbing the nutrients they need, they can have problems including:

• Anemia

• Damaged tooth enamel

• Delayed puberty

• Failure to thrive, in infants

• Crankiness or mood changes

• Neurological problems like learning disabilities and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

• Slow growth and short height

Celiac Disease Causes and Risk Factors

Celiac disease has no known cause, according to research. It may be linked to particular genes and tends to run in families. 

It can be triggered by stressful medical events like surgery or a viral infection. 

Emotional trauma and pregnancy can also occur.

You have a one in ten chance of developing celiac disease if one of your close relatives, such as a parent or sibling, has the condition.

The disease is most common among Caucasians and people who have other diseases, including:

• Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

• Type 1 diabetes

• Addison’s disease

• Down syndrome

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Turner syndrome (a condition in which a female is missing an X chromosome)

• Multiple sclerosis (MS)

• Autoimmune hepatitis

• Sjogren’s syndrome

• Idiopathic dilated cardiomyopathy

• IgA nephropathy

• Lupus

• Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

• Chronic pancreatitis

• Psoriasis

• Scleroderma

• Williams syndrome

• Primary biliary cirrhosis

• Lactose intolerance

• Intestinal lymphoma

• Intestinal cancer

Celiac Disease Complications

Celiac disease can be dangerous if you don’t get treatment. Complications may include:

• Cancer, including intestinal lymphoma and small bowel cancer

• Damaged tooth enamel

• Infertility and miscarriage

• Lactose intolerance

• Malnutrition

• Nervous system problems like seizures or pain and numbness in your hands and feet (peripheral neuropathy)

• Pancreatic disease

• Weak bones

Celiac Disease Tests and Diagnosis

Doctors use blood tests and other tests to help find out if you have celiac disease:

• Serology tests look for certain antibodies.

• Blood tests check other parts of your immune system.

• Intestinal fatty acid binding protein tests show if there’s damage to the intestine.

• A complete blood count looks for anemia (low red blood cells).

• C-reactive protein tests show if there’s inflammation.

• Metabolic panels test liver and kidney function.

• Vitamin D, B12, and folate tests look for vitamin deficiencies.

• Iron and ferritin tests look for iron deficiency.

• Swallowing a small camera can show problems in your digestive tract.

• Imaging tests show signs in the intestine, like wall thickening or changes to blood vessels.

• Genetic testing looks for human leukocyte antigens to rule out celiac disease.

If you're on a gluten-free diet, you'll need to come off it before having the antibody test so the results will be correct.

If blood and other tests show that you might have celiac disease, you’ll probably need to have an endoscopy. This procedure lets your doctor look at your small intestine and take a bit of tissue to see whether it’s damaged.

If you have a rash, doctors will take a small sample of your skin to look for signs it’s caused by celiac disease. This rash is easy to confuse with other skin problems.

Celiac Disease Treatment and Diet

No drugs treat celiac disease. The best thing you can do is change your diet.

Unless they’re labeled as gluten-free, don’t eat foods that are typically made with grains, including:

• Beer

• Bread, cake, and other baked goods

• Cereals

• Pasta or noodles

• Crackers

• Breading

• Pancakes

• Sauces and gravies

These grains always have gluten:

• Wheat

• Wheat Berries

• Durum

• Semolina

• Spelt

• Farina

• Farro

• Graham

• Einkorn wheat

• Rye

• Barley

• Malt

• Brewer’s yeast

• Wheat starch

People with celiac disease need to check labels carefully. 

Many processed foods sometimes have gluten:

• Granola or energy bars

• French fries

• Potato chips

• Lunch meats

• Candy or candy bars

• Soup

• Salad dressings and marinades

• Meat substitutes such as seitan or veggie burgers

• Soy sauce

These foods are always gluten-free:

• Fruits

• Vegetables

• Meat and poultry

• Fish and other seafood

• Dairy

• Beans and nuts

Gluten-free starches and grains include:

• Rice

• Corn or maize

• Soy

• Potato

• Tapioca

• Beans

• Sorghum

• Quinoa

• Millet

• Amaranth

• Flax

• Chia

• Nut flours

It's important to read the label of common products like toothpaste and medicines to make sure they don't contain gluten.

Your doctor may prescribe gluten-free vitamins and minerals to you and give you medication if you have a skin rash if you have a serious lack of nutrients.

Your small intestine should begin to heal after a few weeks on a gluten-free diet, and you should start to feel better.