Celiac disease causes an autoimmune reaction in the body when someone ingests gluten, a protein found in cereals such as wheat, barley, and rye. As a result, their small intestine is damaged, and their body can’t properly absorb nutrients from food.
When a person with celiac eats food with gluten, the immune system recognizes this protein as a threat and attacks the lining of the small intestine, which can damage the digestive system and cause that person not to receive all the nutrients they need to live normally.
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The intolerance to gluten or celiac disease can appear at any time throughout life and their symptoms are different in children and adults.
Signs of gluten intolerance in children
Gluten intolerance will never manifest itself if gluten is not introduced into the diet. Once cereals are introduced into meals, it will already be possible to know if you are celiac or not.
Some of the most common symptoms that may indicate that a child has celiac disease are the following:
– Nausea and vomiting
– constipation
– Abdominal distension, that is, a swollen and hard belly
– Chronic diarrhea
– Problems losing weight or gaining weight
– Delayed puberty
– Irritability
– Iron deficiency anemia (lack of iron due to the inability of the intestine to absorb all the necessary nutrients)
– Cold sores
– Atopic dermatitis and other skin conditions.
Celiac disease symptoms in adults
As in the case of children, symptoms can vary greatly from person to person. Among the most common we find:
– Nausea and vomiting
– Chronic diarrhea
– Abdominal pain
– Abdominal distension
– Gas accumulation
– Decreased appetite
– Weight loss
– Iron deficiency anemia
– Canker sores in the mouth
– Dermatitis herpetiformis
– Decrease in bone mass
– Myalgia
– Depression or anxiety
– Amenorrhea (absence of menstruation)
– Tingling in the upper or lower extremities
How is celiac disease detected?
If the doctor suspects that a patient has celiac disease, they will send a hemogram, a blood test in which a blood count is made that allows analysis of three types of cells: red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets.
Celiac disease is usually associated with anemia, leukopenia and thrombopenia, alterations in the number of blood cells. It is common to find in the analysis of a celiac a lack of iron, few leukocytes, that is, white blood cells, the cells responsible for generating an immune response, and few platelets, which are the blood cells that help to clot it.
If it is confirmed with these results that the person may be celiac, the medical specialist will order specific tests to diagnose this disease. There are currently four:
– Serology (blood test for antibodies)
– Genetic test
– Intestinal biopsy
– Response to the gluten-free diet
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It should be noted that, in the case of serology, a negative result does not rule out that a person may have gluten intolerance, but a positive result can confirm it.
The only treatment for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free diet, says Gastroenterologist and celiac disease specialist Alberto Rubio-Tapia, MD.
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