About celiac disease
Celiac disease is basically a chronic digestive disorder where the small intestine becomes damaged, leading to impaired absorption of nutrients. The lining of the small intestine becomes destroyed as a result of an immune reaction to gluten. Gluten is protein found in things like rye, wheat, oats and barley.
Damage done to the small intestine
The inner lining of the small intestine is made up of tiny structures called villi. These are very important for the absorption of nutrients that pass from the stomach into the intestine. In this disease, the villi are destroyed by inflammation. This reduces the amount of surface area where nutrient absorption can take place. The amount of intestine affected by this inflammation varies from person to person. The greater the area affected the worse the symptoms will be, and the more severe the disease is said to be. This explains why some people can have the whole range of symptoms while others can be relatively asymptomatic.
Symptoms of celiac disease
The symptoms of the disease stem directly from the inability of the intestine to absorb nutrients adequately. These include diarrhoea, weight loss, abdominal bloating, and steatorrhoea, which is basically an increased amount of fat in the stool. There is also fluid retention because of the decreased amounts of protein absorbed into the blood. A certain amount of protein is needed to keep fluid in the blood and out of the tissues. Less protein means that fluid can leak into the tissues causing oedema. Other symptoms include anemia, easy bruising, infertility, osteoperosis, nerve damage and muscle weakness.
Treatment
The treatment for celiac disease involves changing your diet. The first thing you should do is avoid gluten. So in essence stay away from foods that contain wheat barley and rye, like cereals, cakes, pasta, breads and crackers. Some people with the disease also don’t tolerate oats very well so these should be avoided too. Some oat products even contain traces of wheat so it is a good idea to steer clear until your symptoms have resolved.
If you are in the habit of buying processed food then it will be worth your while to take a look at the ingredient list at the back. These types of foods often contain gluten. Some common ones are pasta, salad dressing, yogurt, sausage, mustard, instant coffee, candy bars and ice cream. Some tablets and vitamin preparations contain gluten, so beware of this when buying medication.
People with celiac disease are often also lactose intolerant. You should avoid anything containing lactose like dairy products. You may slowly re-introduce them into your diet once your symptoms have improved and if you are not diagnosed to be lactose intolerant.
You are still able to eat things like meat, fish, corn, potato, fruits and vegetables. As far as alcohol goes it is a good idea to stay away from beer, but you will still be able to drink things like wine, whiskey and brandy, as these do not contain barley or wheat.
