About Coeliacs

Celiac disease is a disorder of the small intestine that can effect anyone from the age of infancy, throughout adulthood. Celiac disease is a reaction to gliadin, which is a gluten product found in wheat and wheat products. The reaction causes an immune response that damages the small intestine and usually causes digestion and bowel problems. Celiac disease is usually passed down genetically, so if you have a family history of celiac disease, you have a higher chance of developing the illness of yourself. Although you do not usually grow out of celiac disease after you develop it, it is possible to maintain the disorder and have a perfectly healthy lifestyle.

Symptoms in Adults

Symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea, stomach pain, exhaustion, weight loss and fatigue. If you do not consume wheat as part of your daily diet, you may have no symptoms at all. Most individuals will notice a change in their bowel movements, like pale diarrhea with a strange odor, or painful abdominal bloating. If you have a mild case of celiac disease, you may be able to eat gluten and not even know that you have the disease, although people with celiac disease do have a higher risk for lymphoma later in life. Celiac disease can be diagnosed by way of a small intestine biopsy, or by cutting foods that contain gluten out of the diet to see if symptoms cease.

Symptoms in Children

Symptoms in children between the age of 9 and 24 months are often more severe than the symptoms in adults or older children. Because a child has not fully developed, if he or she is being given gluten in the daily diet, he or she will be developmentally compromised. Children who have undiagnosed celiac disease include trouble crawling or walking, trouble speaking, clumsiness and not growing physically as quickly as other children of the same age. If you are noticing any of these symptoms in your child, take him or her to a doctor immediately. Like in adults, celiac disease can be diagnosed in children with a small intestine biopsy.

Dietary Restrictions

The main dietary restrictions for people with celiac disease are wheat, because of the gliadins that it contains, rye, because it contains secalins which can not be processed by individuals with celiacs, and barley, because it contains horedins that cannot be digested properly by celiac disease sufferers. Most beers cannot be consumed by coeliac sufferers because they contain either wheat or barley, as well as most breads, pastas, cookies and cakes.

What to Eat

Oats can be eaten by most sufferers of celiac disease, although most oats have been processed in a plant where wheat, barley and other grains have also been processed. There are several gluten-free pastas and breads on the market, as well as gluten-free flour. Most of these products are made with rice or rice flour instead of wheat. You will have to do some guessing and testing to determine what foods you will react to and which you will not. Once you have found a diet that works for you, stick with it and you should be able to manage your celiac disease with no problem.

Warnings

If you experience blood in your stool, vomiting after eating, hives or a rash after eating gluten, swelling of the extremities or face, closing up of the throat or any other severe allergic reactions, you may have a severe gluten allergy or a severe form of celiac disease. Go to the emergency room or see a doctor immediately if you are suffering from any of these symptoms. If your child is experiencing any symptoms that seem to be in correlation to eating gluten, take him or her to the doctor immediately to avoid more serious complications.