Symptoms of Celiac Disease
Symptoms of Celiac Disease: Introduction
The symptoms of celiac disease can be vague and mimic many other conditions, such as diverticulosis or irritable bowel syndrome. Symptoms can run the gamut from nonexistent, to mild, to severe. They can vary greatly between individuals and amount of gluten that is consumed. Symptoms can also affect other parts of the body in addition to the small intestine.
Gastrointestinal symptoms can include excessive gas, abdominal bloating, chronic diarrhea, fatigue, and pale or abnormally foul-smelling stools. Depression can occur, and irritability is a common symptom in children.
If left untreated, celiac disease leads to potentially serious complications, such as vitamin and mineral deficiencies, malnutrition, osteoporosis, small intestine cancer, birth defects, miscarriage, and anemia. Symptoms of these complications can include tooth discoloration, bone and joint pain, weight loss, failure to thrive, amenorrhea, bone loss, and fractures....more about Celiac Disease »
Symptoms of Celiac Disease
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources
for Celiac Disease includes the 35
symptoms listed below:
Research symptoms & diagnosis of Celiac Disease:
Celiac Disease: Symptom Checkers
Review the available symptom checkers for these symptoms of Celiac Disease:
Celiac Disease: Symptom Assessment Questionnaires
Review the available Assessment Questionnaires for the symptoms of Celiac Disease:
Celiac Disease: Complications
Review medical complications possibly associated with Celiac Disease:
Celiac Disease Symptoms: Book Excerpts
Diagnostic Testing
Diagnostic testing of medical conditions related to Celiac Disease:
Research More About Celiac Disease
Do I have Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease: Medical Mistakes
Celiac Disease: Undiagnosed Conditions
Diseases that may be commonly undiagnosed in related medical areas:
Home Diagnostic Testing
Home medical tests related to Celiac Disease:
- Colon & Rectal Cancer: Home Testing
- Allergies -- Related Home Tests
- Food Allergies & Intolerances: Home Testing:
- Digestive-Related Home Testing:
- more home tests...»
Wrongly Diagnosed with Celiac Disease?
The list of other diseases or medical conditions
that may be on the differential diagnosis list of alternative diagnoses
for Celiac Disease includes:
See the full list of 55
Celiac Disease: Research Doctors & Specialists
Research all specialists including ratings, affiliations, and sanctions.
More about symptoms of Celiac Disease:
More information about symptoms of Celiac Disease and related conditions:
Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms
Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list
of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions,
or drug side effect causes of that symptom.
Medical Books Online about Celiac Disease
Medical Books Excerpts
Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to Celiac Disease
are available from published medical books
for more detailed information about Celiac Disease.
Medical Books Excerpts
- Steatorrhea
- "The 10-Minute Diagnosis Manual: Symptoms and Signs in the Time-Limited Encounter" (2000)
- [ read ]
Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Symptoms of Celiac Disease: Online Medical Books
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE!
Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration,
for more information about the symptoms of Celiac Disease.
Celiac disease:
Signs and symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))
Celiac disease produces clinical effects on many body systems:
❑ GI symptoms include recurrent attacks of diarrhea, steatorrhea, abdominal distention due to flatulence, stomach cramps, weakness, anorexia and, occasionally, increased appetite without weight gain. Atrophy of intestinal villi leads to malabsorption of fat, carbohydrates, and protein as well as loss of calories, fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, and K), calcium, and essential minerals and electrolytes. In adults, celiac disease produces multiple nonspecific ulcers in the small bowel, which may perforate or bleed.
❑ Hematologic effects include normochromic, hypochromic, or macrocytic anemia due to poor absorption of folate, iron, and vitamin B12 and to hypoprothrombinemia from jejunal loss of vitamin K.
❑ Osteomalacia, osteoporosis, tetany, and bone pain (especially in the lower back, rib cage, and pelvis) are some of the musculoskeletal symptoms of celiac disease. These signs and symptoms are due to calcium loss and vitamin D deficiency, which weakens the skeleton, causing rickets in children and compression fractures in adults.
❑ Neurologic effects may include peripheral neuropathy, seizures, or paresthesia.
❑ Dry skin, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis herpetiformis, and acne rosacea are some of the dermatologic effects of celiac disease. Deficiency of sulfur-containing amino acids may cause generalized fine, sparse, prematurely gray hair; brittle nails; and localized hyperpigmentation on the face, lips, or mucosa.
❑ Endocrine symptoms include amenorrhea, hypometabolism and, possibly, with severe malabsorption, adrenocortical insufficiency.
❑ Psychosocial effects include mood changes and irritability.
Symptoms may develop during the first year of life, when gluten is introduced into the child’s diet as cereal. Clinical effects may disappear during adolescence and reappear in adulthood. One theory proposes that the age at which symptoms first appear depends on the strength of the genetic factor: A strong factor produces symptoms during the child’s first 4 years; a weak factor, in late childhood or adulthood.
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Celiac Disease:
Celiac Disease - signs & symptoms
(The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult)
Failure to thrive, weight loss, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal distention
» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »
Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008
Article Excerpts About Symptoms of Celiac Disease:
Celiac Disease: NIDDK (Excerpt)
Celiac disease affects people differently. Some people develop symptoms
as children, others as adults. One factor thought to play a role in when
and how celiac appears is whether and how long a person was breastfed--the
longer one was breastfed, the later symptoms of celiac disease appear, and
the more atypical the symptoms. Other factors include the age at which one
began eating foods containing gluten and how much gluten is eaten.
Symptoms may or may not occur in the digestive system. For example, one
person might have diarrhea and abdominal pain, while another person has
irritability or depression. In fact, irritability is one of the most
common symptoms in children.
Symptoms of celiac disease may include one or more of the following:
- recurring abdominal bloating and pain
- chronic diarrhea
- weight loss
- pale, foul-smelling stool
- unexplained anemia (low count of red blood cells)
- gas
- bone pain
- behavior changes
- muscle cramps
- fatigue
- delayed growth
- failure to thrive in infants
- pain in the joints
- seizures
- tingling numbness in the legs (from nerve damage)
- pale sores inside the mouth, called aphthus ulcers
- painful skin rash, called dermatitis herpetiformis
- tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
- missed menstrual periods (often because of excessive weight loss)
Anemia, delayed growth, and weight loss are signs of malnutrition--not
getting enough nutrients. Malnutrition is a serious problem for anyone,
but particularly for children because they need adequate nutrition to
develop properly.
Some people with celiac disease may not have symptoms. The undamaged
part of their small intestine is able to absorb enough nutrients to
prevent symptoms. However, people without symptoms are still at risk for
the complications of celiac disease.
(Source: excerpt from Celiac Disease: NIDDK)
Facts and Fallacies About Digestive Diseases: NIDDK (Excerpt)
These
symptoms may be vague and therefore attributed to other conditions.
Symptoms can include bloating, diarrhea, abdominal pain, skin rash,
anemia, and thinning of the bones (osteoporosis). Celiac disease may cause
such nonspecific symptoms for several years before being correctly
diagnosed and treated.
(Source: excerpt from Facts and Fallacies About Digestive Diseases: NIDDK)
Celiac Disease as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions
When considering symptoms of Celiac Disease, it is also important to consider Celiac Disease as a possible cause of other medical conditions.
The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that Celiac Disease may cause:
- (Source - Diseases Database)
Medical articles and books on symptoms:
These general reference articles may be of interest
in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis
About signs and symptoms of Celiac Disease:
The symptom information on this page
attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Celiac Disease.
This signs and symptoms information for Celiac Disease has been gathered from various sources,
may not be fully accurate,
and may not be the full list of Celiac Disease signs or Celiac Disease symptoms.
Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Celiac Disease may vary on an individual basis for each patient.
Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they
are indeed Celiac Disease symptoms.
Learn the right questions to ask about your child's doctors and hospitals.
Benefits of eating smaller meals throughout the day.
Take a minute to hear the 5 things Dr. Paul Knoepflmacher tells his patients to do for a longer, healthier life.
What’s the best way to find a doctor for your child? Learn from pediatrician, Dr. Preeti.
See full list of 4 related videos
» Next page:
Diagnostic Tests for Celiac Disease
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