Overview
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the body's immune system reacts abnormally to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. This reaction damages the lining of the small intestine, making it harder to absorb nutrients from food. Over time, untreated celiac disease can lead to problems such as poor nutrition, anemia, bone weakness, and growth issues in children.
Key Symptoms
Symptoms vary widely and may be digestive or non-digestive. Digestive symptoms can include diarrhea, constipation, belly pain, bloating, nausea, and weight loss. Other symptoms may include fatigue, iron-deficiency anemia, mouth ulcers, skin rash, bone or joint pain, headaches, fertility problems, or poor growth in children. Some people have very mild symptoms or none that they notice.
Causes and Risk Factors
Celiac disease develops when a person with a genetic tendency has an immune reaction to gluten. It is linked to certain genes, but having those genes does not always mean someone will develop the disease. Risk is higher in people with a close family member who has celiac disease and in people with some other autoimmune or genetic conditions, such as type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, or Down syndrome.
Who Is Affected
Celiac disease can affect children and adults and occurs in many parts of the world. It may appear at any age after gluten is introduced into the diet. Because symptoms can be different from person to person, many people remain undiagnosed for a long time.
Diagnosis and Tests
Diagnosis usually starts with blood tests that look for antibodies linked to celiac disease. If the results suggest celiac disease, a healthcare professional may recommend an upper endoscopy with small intestine biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. People should not start a gluten-free diet before testing unless a clinician advises it, because removing gluten can make test results harder to interpret.
Treatment Categories
The main treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. This means avoiding foods and ingredients made from wheat, barley, and rye, and also being careful about cross-contact during food preparation. A healthcare professional may also check for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, bone health concerns, and related conditions.
Living With It
Living with celiac disease often involves learning how to read ingredient labels, ask questions when eating away from home, and plan for travel, school, or work meals. Follow-up medical care is important to monitor symptoms, nutrition, and healing. Support from a dietitian familiar with celiac disease can be very helpful.
Diet and Lifestyle
A gluten-free diet focuses on naturally gluten-free foods such as fruits, vegetables, legumes, eggs, dairy, meat, fish, and grains like rice and corn, if they are not contaminated with gluten. Packaged foods, sauces, seasonings, and medicines may sometimes contain gluten or be exposed to it during processing, so careful label checking matters. People with celiac disease may need extra attention to iron, calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients if deficiencies are present.
When to Seek Medical Care
Seek medical care if you or your child have ongoing diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, poor growth, unexplained anemia, repeated mouth ulcers, or a very itchy blistering rash. Medical review is also important if symptoms continue despite avoiding gluten, or if you have a close relative with celiac disease and want to discuss testing. A healthcare professional can help sort out whether symptoms may be due to celiac disease or another condition.