Celiac disease is chronic, non-contagious, autoimmune inflammatory condition of small intestine. It comes as a consequence of immune response on gluten, and it is the most common chronic disease in the world.
Article continues below
About two million people in the United States have celiac disease, or about 1 in 120 - 300 people. The most serious complication is possibility of malignant tumor of digestive tract in patients that are not treated. The most serious acutely complication is celiac crisis, a very dangerous condition. The disease affects both sexes, and family history increases the risk. Celiac disease mostly appears in the little children when they start to eat products enriched with gluten, such as wheat, rye, barley and oat. However, celiac disease can appear later in life, too. It can be triggered by stress, infective illness, surgery, or even pregnancy.
The first symptoms are lack of appetite, irritability, sudden and strong loss of weight and delayed growth. Leanness is in particular expressed in limbs and gluteus because muscle atrophy. Face is fat, skin is pale, and cheeks are red. Stomach is big and uptight. Celiac disease is characterised by chronic diarrhea, excessive and foamy stools because of fermentation of starch that can't be absorbed in intestine, just like the fats. Stool is white and excessive, 100 - 1000 grams per day, while normal is 40 - 80 grams per day. Little children can be nervous and refuse food; sometimes they can have cold and sweaty limbs. Loss of weight can be 1 kg in one day.
Secondary symptoms come in the shape of avitaminosis and bone demineralisation. Rickets appears after third to fifth birthday when child start to grow, and before that the osteoporosis appears.
Celiac disease is easy to diagnose once it is developed. Treatment lasts for the rest of the patient's life, because patient with celiac disease must stick to strict gluten diet. Physician will make blood test to prove celiac disease. If the test and symptoms suggest the present of disease physician will do biopsy of small intestine.
When celiac disease is confirmed, strict gluten-free diet follows. That treatment just looks simple - life without bread and pasta can't be so difficult. But, the main problem is that gluten is a part of many industrial processed products such as hot dog, pate, soup, processed potato, sausages, candy, cold cuts, salami, soy sauce... Even dry figs can be contaminated with gluten: White powder on it is usually flour.
The purpose of gluten is to link fats and water and to be a carrier of spices and aromas. Gluten is one of the main ingredients used in food industry. Product can be contaminated with gluten in production or storage, and patient may be unaware of that. The smallest amount of gluten (more than 0,002 percent) is dangerous. Even medications can contain gluten so consult your pharmacist. Those are just some examples of troubles that celiac disease causes.
So, what to eat? Fruit, rice, corn, potatoes, nuts, oil, salt, pepper, honey, tea, mushrooms, cocoa, meat, fish, eggs... As you can see, there's plenty of food that you can eat but you must always read product label. However, with time that reading will be your second nature. Your physician will give you advices - take them seriously and follow them. Mind you, the smallest amount of gluten can cause very serious condition. ■
The first symptoms are lack of appetite, irritability, sudden and strong loss of weight and delayed growth. Leanness is in particular expressed in limbs and gluteus because muscle atrophy. Face is fat, skin is pale, and cheeks are red. Stomach is big and uptight. Celiac disease is characterised by chronic diarrhea, excessive and foamy stools because of fermentation of starch that can't be absorbed in intestine, just like the fats. Stool is white and excessive, 100 - 1000 grams per day, while normal is 40 - 80 grams per day. Little children can be nervous and refuse food; sometimes they can have cold and sweaty limbs. Loss of weight can be 1 kg in one day. 
Secondary symptoms come in the shape of avitaminosis and bone demineralisation. Rickets appears after third to fifth birthday when child start to grow, and before that the osteoporosis appears. 
The purpose of gluten is to link fats and water and to be a carrier of spices and aromas. Gluten is one of the main ingredients used in food industry. Product can be contaminated with gluten in production or storage, and patient may be unaware of that. The smallest amount of gluten (more than 0,002 percent) is dangerous. Even medications can contain gluten so consult your pharmacist. Those are just some examples of troubles that celiac disease causes.