Jul 28, 2023
Welcome back to UHC’s House Call on WDTV. Jess Brantner, MS, director of Nutrition Services at United Hospital Center, talks about bringing awareness to celiac disease.
1). What are some symptoms of celiac disease in adults?
Symptoms of celiac disease vary widely, and a person may have multiple symptoms that come and go. If you have celiac disease, you may have digestive problems or other symptoms. A person with digestive symptoms of celiac disease may present with:
- bloating
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- gas
- lactose intolerance due to damage to the small intestine
- loose, greasy, bulky, and bad smelling stools
- nausea or vomiting
- pain in the abdomen
2). Can the disease have symptoms that affect other parts of the body as well?
Absolutely, you are going to want to be aware of any one or combination of symptoms.
These may include:
- dermatitis herpetiformis or commonly referred to as DH—which is a rash that affects 10 percent of people with celiac disease
- fatigue, or feeling tired
- joint or bone pain
- mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety
- nervous system symptoms, such as headaches, balance problems, seizures, or peripheral neuropathy
- reproductive problems in women and girls—which may include infertility, delayed start of menstrual periods, missed menstrual periods, or repeated miscarriages—and male infertility
- symptoms involving the mouth, such as canker sores; a dry mouth; or a red, smooth, shiny tongue
3). Does celiac disease affect children the same as an adult?
It does, in fact digestive symptoms are more common in children than in adults. Children also are affected by being unable to absorb nutrients at a time when nutrients are so important to normal growth and development. This can lead to:
- damage to the permanent teeth’s enamel
- delayed puberty
- failure to thrive, meaning that an infant or a child weighs less or is gaining less weight than expected for his or her age
- mood changes or feeling annoyed or impatient
- slowed growth and short height
- weight loss
Most people with celiac disease have one or more symptoms before they are diagnosed and begin treatment. Symptoms typically improve and may go away after a person begins eating a gluten-free diet. Symptoms may return if a person consumes small amounts of gluten.
This content was originally posted on the WDTV News website here.
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