8 Signs You Might Be Suffering From Celiac Disease

Know the signs of celiac disease and gluten intolerance, which is the major cause of this condition.

Check out for these signs if you are at risk of celiac disease. Image used for representative purposes. 

(Image: iStock)

According to the doctors of Mayo Clinic, celiac disease is a condition in which you are allergic to the protein commonly found in wheat, barley, rye, and spelt. In celiac disease, gluten causes an immune response in the body that results in inflammation and damage in the small intestine.

According to Pubmed Central, celiac disease affects only one percent of the people in the US but it may lead to digestive issues, nutritional deficiencies, and other negative health effects.

Celiac disease has no cure and requires management and control besides avoiding the food that might contain gluten, it also includes baked goods, cereals, certain medications, etc.

Let us know about the common signs of celiac disease, which might help you detect the condition if you ever suffer from all or some of such symptoms in future.

Diarrhea

According to PubMed Central, 79 percent of people suffered from chronic diarrhea before the treatment of celiac disease and 17 percent of the people suffered from chronic diarrhea for a while even after the treatment.

Chronic diarrhea due to celiac disease may take four weeks to get treated even after the medication and you must be careful that diarrhea is a symptom of many other digestive issues, food intolerances and food allergies.

Bloating

According to the doctors of Mayo Clinic, bloating is a common result of celiac disease since it causes inflamed digestive tract and digestive issues. About 73 percent of the people suffering from celiac disease experience bloating before the diagnosis and bloating tends to reduce after they restrict gluten entirely from their diet.

Though other causes of bloating may be chronic gas, digestive disorder, bowel obstruction, and constipation.

Fatigue

Fatigue is a common symptom in people suffering from auto-immune diseases and the fatigue may be due to the underlying conditions like sleep problems, chronic pain and depression. It may also be due to anaemia in which the body is unable to produce enough red blood cells and it results in low energy levels.

Sudden Weight Loss 

According to Healthline, weightloss may be a sign of celiac disease if it is accompanied by other symptoms of celiac disorder and it has a valid reason as well.

The nutritional deficiency, diarrhea, anxiety and depression curbs the appetite and does not allow the body to break down the food and body utilises the stored fat and to carry out the basic activities and fight the complications of the disease, which results in weight loss in the longer run.

Skin Reactions

According to US NIH, gluten intolerance which is the main cause of celiac disease can result in various skin reactions like dermatitis herpatiforms,psoriasis, chronic urticaria, and alopecia areata.

According to the Celiac Foundation, few people suffering from celiac disease do not experience digestive issues but they might experience inflamed skin, itchy skin and other skin-related issues.

Anaemia

Celiac disease results in lack of absorption of nutrients in the small intestine and that is celiac disorder results in anaemia and other nutrient deficiencies. Anaemia is caused due to deficiency of iron and has following symptoms:

• Fatigue

• Pale skin

• Diziness

• Shortness of breath

• Headaches

Constipation

Celiac disorder results in the damage of the intestinal villi, which reduces its ability to absorb nutrients and they do not get broken down and passes in an undigested form through the gut to the small intestine and then absorb the moisture from the stool causing constipation.

In such cases, you must start taking other options with high fiber like amaranth, quinoa, and millet.

Depression & Anxiety

According to US NIH, people with celiac disease tend to be more prone to the conditions of anxiety and depression. They shall feel worried, sad, nervous, uneasy, and agitated without any solid reason. Forty percent of the people with gluten intolerance showed the symptoms of anxiety and depression and felt better as they started a gluten-free diet.