Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Facts About Celiac Disease

By Alana Celiacana

Celiac Disease is a condition that is triggered by an allergy to gluten. Both children and adults can be affected and everyday products that contain the protein include pizza crust, bread, cereals and pasta.

Unfortunately, there is no medical treatment for Celiac Disease, however, by maintaining a gluten free diet it can be kept under control. If left untreated, sufferers who eat foods with gluten will suffer many symptoms and cause damage to the inner lining of the intestine over time.

Also known as Celiac Sprue or Gluten Sensitive Enteropathy, the condition, if left untreated will cause malnutrition as the disease attacks the intestine causing such damage that the intestine cannot absorb important minerals and vitamins. This is noticeably high in teenagers who suffer from Celiac.

Foul smelling stools are normally a tell tale sign you may be a sufferer and other symptoms can include fatigue, severe abdominal pains, diarrhoea, weight loss and anaemia. Due to all these everyday symptoms the disease, quite often, is overlooked.

The cause of Celiac Disease is still unknown, and it can be triggered at any time of your life and certain factors such as a physical injury, pregnancy or trauma can cause the disease. Often inherited, if a family member has the disease then you have five to fifteen percent chance of also sufferering from it.

A good replacement for gluten rich foods are fish and poultry, fresh meat, fresh fruit and vegetables and dairy products and replace wheat products with potatoes and rice. Your dietician or doctor will be able to help you with a fulfilling, yet tasty menu cutting out all gluten.

Thankfully, nowadays dietary options are not as limited as before, and health shops stock a wide variety of gluten free products. Supermarkets stock some gluten free products but remember to always check the label.

If you are diagnosed with Celiac Disease then it is important to stick to a gluten free diet. Your intestine will eventually repair itself but any lapse in the diet will cause further damage and side effects.

If you are experiencing any of the mentioned symptoms then contact your doctor as soon as possible. Celiac Disease must be treated from the start to avoid lasting damage to the intestine, and whether you are young or old, male or female, Celiac Disease can cause sufferers a lot of pain and distress.

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