The Widespread Role Of Celiac Disease In Other Diseases

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Is the inflammatory response by the body to gluten the root cause of many autoimmune diseases? It appears to be so. Some people do not even know they have Celiac disease, a condition in which the immune system overreacts to gluten and attacks the body’s tissue. The disease’s symptoms mimic numerous other ailments, and are often dismissed as minor upsets, until they become apparent, bothersome, or intolerable. 

My gut issues came before my diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS).  

New physical manifestations in the form of headaches were the first indication something was out of balance. Not long after, followed an unsubstantiated and quick diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) by my family doctor. I was never informed on how to manage the condition. I took it that this was just something I had to live with. 

Initially, I hadn’t associated gut health with autoimmune diseases. Three decades ago, information wasn’t so readily available as it is today. It wasn’t until 15+ years later when I started investigating how I could reduce and hopefully alleviate my gut problems that I finally realized the intrinsic association between gut health and a healthy immune system.

The statement “all diseases start in the gut” should not be taken lightly.

Fast forward to now, and thanks to Spirit, I’ve been blessed with the revelation that gluten is harmful to my body. I now feel it important to share the following with you, so that you may become aware of what could be behind your underlying conditions. It is worth finding out. 

Celiac disease is a common chronic genetically based gluten sensitive immune disorder that primarily affects the small intestine’s lining. If undetected and identified, it can cause serious health issues and disability. A gluten in wheat, rye and barley has been found to be directly related as the trigger and cause of gluten sensitivity/intolerance and Celiac disease. 

The first observations of this disease were seen as far back as 2nd Century A.D. The word “Coeliac” originates from the Greek word “koiliakos” which means stomach. 

The big producers of wheat are the following countries: 1) China; 2) India; 3) Russia; 4) United States; 5) Canada; 6) France; 7) Pakistan; 8) Ukraine; 9) Germany; and 10) Turkey. Prepared and processed food products originating from these top ten wheat producing countries will likely have wheat and its derivatives incorporated in the recipes. For more details and information on gluten in foods, please check out my previous blog on the subject of gluten. 

Genetic testing is now available to determine if you carry the gene for Celiac. However, many people who do have the gene will not develop Celiac disease. This then limits this genetic testing to identifying people at risk of developing Celiac. It is not a clear indicator of the active disease. 

A blood sample to test for the antibody can give a negative result, but the same test may give a positive later on in life when Celiac disease develops. 

The only definitive way to confirm a diagnosis of Celiac is to undergo a biopsy of the small intestinal tissue.

The link between Celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases has been accepted by the medical community for nearly forty years now.

If undiagnosed and left untreated Celiac disease can lead to a host of serious health conditions. 

Physical conditions associated with Celiac disease include

·       Anemia

·       Arthritis

·       Autoimmune hepatitis

·       · Cancer

·       Central nervous system (CNS) disorders

·       Chronic fatigue syndrome

·       · Dementia

·       Dermatitis herpetiformis

·       Down syndrome

·       Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

·       · Epilepsy

·       Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

·       Fibromyalgia

·       Fructose intolerance

·       Gall bladder dysfunction

·       Gluten ataxia

·       Headaches

·       Heart disease

·       Idiopathic Dilated Cardiomyopathy

·       Infertility & miscarriage

·       Intestinal cancers

·       Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)

·       Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA)

·       Lactose intolerance

·       Liver disease

·       Lymphocytic & microscopic colitis

·       Migraines

·       Multiple sclerosis (MS)

·       Myopathy

·       Neuropathy

·       Osteoporosis (early onset)

·       Pallor

·       Peripheral neuropathy

·       Primary bilary cirrhosis

·       Psoriasis

·       Rheumatoid arthritis

·       Sjogren’s syndrome

·       Skeletal frailty

·       Thyroid disease

·       Turner syndrome

·       Type 1 diabetes

·       Vitamin & mineral deficiencies

·       Williams syndrome

Emotional and mental conditions connected with having Celiac disease

·       Anxiety

·       Brain fog

·       Concentrating difficulty

·       Depression

·       Irritability

People may be symptom-free even while intestinal damage is occurring. This is known as asymptomatic or silent Celiac disease. In what is considered classic Celiac disease, affected individuals will present with symptoms of diarrhea and weight loss, dermatitis herpetiformis, as well as anemia and weight loss. Those are the most common presenting signs of the disease.

 Many people associate weight loss with Celiac disease, but this is not always the case. Weight loss in Celiac disease is usually indicative of malnutrition due to a lack of nutrient absorption, as a result of damage to the intestinal tract. 

Children as young as six months of age can display symptoms of Celiac disease. The common sign of the disease in children is irritability. It’s urgently important to have children tested as soon as possible. Although many advocate waiting until a diagnosis is made before altering a child’s diet, as someone who suffers when eating gluten, I strongly disagree. I would move quickly to eliminate gluten from the child’s diet to see if there is improvement.

For affected children, maintaining a strict gluten-free diet is imperative not only to reduce distresses, it’s essential in preventing malnutrition and failure to thrive.

Early diagnosis reduces the risk of developing another autoimmune disease.

Common symptoms associated with Celiac disease

• Abdominal pain

• Anemia

• Bloating

• Canker sores

• Concentration difficulty

• Constipation

• Depression

• Delayed growth & puberty (children)

• Diarrhea

• Fatigue

• Flatulence

• Headache & migraines

• Irritability

• Joint pain

• Liver disease

• Skin rashes (itchy)

• Teeth discoloration

• Thin bones

• Tingling & numbness

• Vomiting

• Weight loss (malnutrition due to malabsorption)

There is no effective treatment for Celiac or non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCFS) other than a 100% gluten-free diet.