JEN’S QUICK N’ EASY Q N’ A GLUTEN FREE GUIDE

WHAT IS CELIAC DISEASE?

Celiac Disease is a disease that damages the small intestine as a result of the body’s inability to tolerate gluten, a protein found in products made from wheat, rye and barley.

Celiac disease sufferers are required to maintain a gluten-free diet in order to stay healthy. Once gluten is removed from the diet, there is usually full small intestine recovery and the celiac disease symptoms disappear as well.

WHAT IS A GLUTEN-FREE DIET?

A gluten free diet is one that eliminates any products made from the following grains from a person’s diet-wheat, rye and barley.

HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE UNTIL I FEEL BETTER?

Most celiac disease symptoms disappear in a matter of weeks while some disappear within 48 hours of starting a gluten-free diet. Children usually have faster response times than adults.

WHAT ARE SOME CELIAC DISEASE SYMPTOMS?

Celiac disease symptoms vary greatly and can be a combination of both physical and behavioral symptoms. Adapting a gluten-free lifestyle will help eliminate both types of symptoms.

Physical:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal Pain
• Problems with Stool (pale, loose, very smelly)
• Gas
• Weight Loss
• Fluid Retention
• Anemia
• Bone and Joint Pain
• Rashes
• Osteoporosis
• Easy Bruising
• Nerve Damage
• Infertility
• Weak Muscles

Behavioral:

• Irritability
• Depression
• Mood Swings
• Inability to Concentrate
• Fatigue
• Disinterest in Normal Activities

For additional celiac disease symptoms and more information go to…

WHY DO CELIAC DISEASE SYMPTOMS VARY SO MUCH?

Nobody knows why the celiac disease symptoms vary so much between patients. In fact, there are those who suffer from celiac disease who display no symptoms at all.

Experts claim that a key in determining celiac disease symptoms is the amount of existing intestinal damage and the length of time gluten absorption has been a problem before the adaptation of a gluten-free diet.

IS CELIAC DISEASE KNOWN BY OTHER NAMES?

Yes. It can also be called:

• Gluten Intolerance
• CD
• Gee-Herter Disease
• Huebner-Herter Disease
• Sprue
• Celiac Sprue
• Non-tropical Sprue
• Gluten Enteropathy
• Gluten-induced Enteropathy

IS CELIAC DISEASE NEW?

NO. Arataeus, a Greek physician who lived in the first century AD first noticed the celiac disease symptoms and recorded them. He called the disease “koiliakos” after the Greek work “koelia” which means abdomen.

In the early 19th century, Dr. Mathew Baile observed a chronic diarrhea disorder characterized by a gas in the abdomen. His treatment: A gluten-free diet created by substituting rice for the more popular grains.

It was Dr. Samuel Gee, an English doctor, who is given credit for the modern description of celiac disease symptoms almost a century later. His gluten-free recommendation was to eat fish-specifically mussels.

In the 1920′s, a banana diet became popular for the treatment of celiac disease which was promoted by Dr. Sidney Haas.

For more historical information on Celiac Disease, please follow the following link…

HOW MANY PEOPLE TODAY SUFFER FROM CELIAC DISEASE SYMPTOMS?

According to the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF), one out of every 133 people in the United States is affected by the disease.

IS CELIAC DISEASE CATCHING OR HEREDITARY?

Celiac disease is not catching but it often does run in families. If one family member has it, it is recommended that other family members be tested.

HOW DO I FIND OUT IF I HAVE CELIAC DISEASE?

Take a simple blood test for transglutaminase antibodies (tTGA).
If the test comes back positive, a biopsy of the small intestine will confirm the diagnosis.

For more details on testing press here…

WHAT IS THE CURE FOR CELIAC DISEASE?

There is no cure.

IS THERE A WAY TO TREAT CELIAC DISEASE AND WHAT IS IT?

A gluten-free diet is the only way to treat the disease. Sticking to a gluten-free diet will cause the celiac disease symptoms to simply disappear.

WHAT IS THE WORST CASE SCENARIO?

If untreated, celiac disease can lead to terminal illnesses. For more information…