Gluten Intolerance Symptoms

Description

What Are Common Symptoms of Gluten Intolerance?

Gluten intolerance disease is a genetically inherited autoimmune digestive disease. Celiac disease (spelled coeliac in Europe) damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. When a person who has a Gluten Intolerance or is Celiac eats food-containing gluten such as wheat, barley & rye, their immune system responds by damaging the finger-like villi of the small intestine. When the villi becomes damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to malnourishment. Celiacs are more susceptible to number of other conditions, a few of which are Osteoporosis, Type 1 Diabetes, Thyroid Disease, Depression.

Signs of Gluten intolerance (Celiac Symptoms)

What are the symptoms of celiac disease? There is a broad range of Signs of Celiac Disease (over 300) so it can be difficult to diagnose. Some common signs of celiac disease are:

Bloating
Chronic Fatigue
Headaches
Constipation
Diarrhea
Itchy Skin Rash
Irritability
White/Brown spots on your teeth
Abdominal Pain
Misdiagnosis

Many times those with celiac symptoms are incorrectly misdiagnosed as having other diseases. This is due to the fact that many of the same symptoms are shared by other diseases such as Crohns, chronic fatigue, diverticulitis, intestinal infections, irritable bowel, and ulcerative colitis.

Asymptomatic Celiac Disease

It is possible to have no symptoms of celiac disease. This is called asymptomatic celiac disease. The undamaged part of the small intestine is able to absorb enough nutrients to prevent symptoms of gluten intolerance, but asymptomatic celiacs are still at risk for complications of celiac disease. If you wonder if your symptoms might have something to do with the gluten in your diet, consult with your physician about removing all gluten from your diet.

Testing for Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance

If you think you might have celiac symptoms, please go to your physician immediately. They can do a blood test and then an intestinal biopsy to confirm if you have celiac disease. There is really no other way since both celiac disease and gluten intolerance have similar symptoms. For Treatment of gluten intolerance please see Treatment for Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance.