Celiac disease

Do you, or someone you know, suffer from Celiac Disease? Do you know the symptoms and conditions for this medical condition?

Celiac disease is a condition where the intestines react badly to gluten. Gluten can be found for example in wheat, oats, barley and rye. Sufferers therefore are diet restricted.

When people with Celiac Disease eat these foods, their intestines can become irritated and damaged making it difficult to absorb important nutrients that include vitamins, protein, calcium and many others that are important to the smooth running of your body.

Celiac Disease tends to be hereditary, so if someone in your family has the illness, you have a one in ten chance of contracting it.

You may carry the susceptibility with you for years unnoticed until the Celiac Disease is 'triggered' by an event such as stress, infection, childbirth or surgery.

If you suspect that you suffer from this digestive problem, it's important to go to your GP immediately to get a diagnosis. Blood tests can now be done to identify this particular problem, and your GP will be able to arrange one.

Another way to be sure that gluten intolerance is what is causing your symptoms is to have a biopsy of your intestine. This means having a very small section of your intestine removed for analysis. The last way of confirming that you suffer from this disorder is to begin a strict no-gluten diet. If your symptoms go away when you stop eating foods containing gluten, that's a good indication that you are a sufferer.

This illness can be managed by the elimination of all forms of gluten from your diet. Your symptoms will disappear, and over time the damage will heal. If you suspect you or someone you love might suffer from this condition, see your GP for diagnosis and advice.