Wednesday, February 17, 2010

The Facts About Celiac Disease

By Alana Celiacana

Both adults and children can be affected by Celiac Disease and the disease is caused by an allergy to the protein gluten. This protein is found everyday foods such as cereals and some pasta types, biscuits, pizza crust and bread.

Unfortuantely there is no medical treatment for Celiac Disease, however, by following a gluten free diet it can be kept under control. If left untreated, sufferers who consume foods with gluten will suffer many side effects and cause damage to the inner lining of the intestine over time.

Also known as Gluten Sensitive Entereopathy or Celiac Sprue, the disease, if left untreated will cause malnutrition as the disease attacks the intestine causing such damage that the intestine is unable to absorb essential vitamins and minerals. This is generally high in teenagers who suffer from Celiac.

Foul smelling stools are normally a tell tale sign you may be a sufferer and other symptoms can include fatigue, severe abdominal pains, diarrhoea, anaemia and weight loss. Due to all these everyday side effects the disease, quite often, is misdiagnosed.

Celiac Disease can be triggered at any time in your life and circumstances such as pregnancy, stress or injury can trigger the condition. Although the cause of Celiac Disease is still unknown it can be inherited and statistics show that if a family member is a sufferer then you have a five to fifteen percent chance of also becoming a sufferer.

Ask your dietician or doctor for advice on a fulfilling, yet tasty gluten free diets and make sure you eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, fish and poultry, fresh meats and dairy products. Good wheat replacements include potatoes and rice.

Thankfully, these day's dietary options are not as limited as before, and health shops stock a wide variety of gluten free products. Supermarkets stock some gluten free products but remember to always check the label.

If you are diagnosed with Celiac Disease then it is important to maintain a gluten free diet. Your intestine will eventually heal itself but any lapse in the diet will cause further damage and symptoms.

If you are experiencing any of the mentioned symptoms then contact your doctor as soon as possible. Celiac Disease must be treated from the onset to avoid lasting damage to the intestine, and whether you are old or young, female or male, Celiac Disease can cause sufferers a lot of distress and pain.

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