Celiac disease is one of the most prevalent autoimmune conditions in the United States. Every 1 out of 133 people suffer from the condition, with the majority being women. There is very little information about what causes the condition and there is no cure; however, it can be managed if you follow certain lifestyle guidelines.
Living with celiac disease can present a major hindrance to improving the quality of your life and many times, it progresses to complications which include malnutrition and triggering other auto-immune conditions. As such, it would help if we understood what the condition is, how it affects the body and what we can do to minimize the damage from it.
What is the Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is a condition that affects the gastrointestinal tract. People with CD have an intense allergic reaction to gluten where the immune system begins attacking the small intestine. If thiscontinues for long enough a time period, this could cause problems with food absorption and infections in the intestines.
Very little is known about what causes the condition, beyond that it is a congenital condition that people have since birth and it is usually genetically transmitted.
People with gluten disease will feel a flare-up if they eat anything with gluten in it. Which is a fair bit of food in our diets, since wheat; the grain that contains gluten is included in a lot of foods.
What are the Symptoms of the Celiac Disease?
Symptoms of the celiac disease include:
· Bloating
· Diarrhea
· Constipation
· Gas
· Nausea
· Stomach aches
· Mood changes
· Weight loss
· Anemia
· Seizures
This is by no means an exhaustive list of all the symptoms of the condition and considering the number of people who go undiagnosed, it would be best if you went and got a full check up if you suffer from these symptoms.
How To Manage Your Celiac Disease
There are no lifestyle changes beyond removing all forms of gluten from your diet. If you stop consuming gluten you won’t have the distinctive allergic reaction. Try looking out for gluten-free foods to add to your diet instead.
Cognizant about Curing Celiac is an initiative by Randal and Inger Kenworthy to fund research efforts toward curing and managing the celiac disease. Visit the website today for more information on the efforts or to contribute to the Beyond Celiac research fund.