Celiac disease more common than thought

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where the gastrointestinal tract is hypersensitive to gluten, a component of wheat, rye and barley. It causes abdominal bloating, abdominal pain, flatulence, change in bowel habit, headaches, rashes, malnutrition, anemia, osteoporosis, growth restriction in children, weight loss and pregnancy complications. The symptoms and complications are due to the small, finger-like projections, called villi, of the intestine being killed off by the body's immune system. A recent survey detected that out of a population of 13,000 people who had their blood analyzed, 1 in 133 were diagnosed with the disease. Celiac disease is often misdiagnosed, but can be easily detected with a blood test followed up with tissue samples taken via endoscopy. It runs in families, but requires a diet that includes gluten to expose the disease, therefore the treatment is to avoid all foodstuffs that contain this irritant, such as bread, biscuits, cakes, and pasta. Specialists also recommend breast feeding while food is being introduced to infants. Studies are currently underway to further understand the disease process so that a vaccine might be produced.

Source: summary of medical news story as reported by Knight Ridder Newspapers

Related Disease Topics:

• Celiac disease
• Autoimmune disease
• Malnutrition
• Anemia
• Osteoporosis

Related Symptom Topics:

• Abdominal bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Flatulence
• Change in bowel habit
• Headaches
• Rashes
• Growth restriction
• Weight loss
• Pregnancy complications

Article Source Details

About: Celiac disease more common than thought

Date: 10 January 2006

Source: Knight Ridder Newspapers

Author: Susan Fitzgerald

URL: http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/news/nation/13591172.htm

Related Medical Topics

This summary article refers to the following medical categories:

• Cause of abdominal bloating
• Cause of abdominal pain
• Cause of flatulence
• Cause of change in bowel habit
• Cause of headaches
• Cause of rashes
• Cause of growth restriction
• Cause of weight loss
• Cause of pregnancy complications
• Cause of celiac disease
• Cause of gluten intolerance
• Cause of autoimmune disease
• Cause of gluten intolerance
• Cause of malnutrition
• Cause of anemia
• Cause of osteoporosis
• Cause of diarrhea
• Cause of constipation
• Risk and abdominal bloating
• Risk and abdominal pain
• Risk and flatulence
• Risk and change in bowel habit
• Risk and headaches
• Risk and rashes
• Risk and growth restriction
• Risk and weight loss
• Risk and pregnancy complications
• Risk and celiac disease
• Risk and gluten intolerance
• Risk and autoimmune disease
• Risk and malnutrition
• Risk and anemia
• Risk and osteoporosis
• Misdiagnosis (type of Medical misadventure)
• Misdiagnosis and abdominal bloating
• Misdiagnosis and abdominal pain
• Misdiagnosis and flatulence
• Misdiagnosis and change in bowel habit
• Misdiagnosis and headaches
• Misdiagnosis and rashes
• Misdiagnosis and diarrhea
• Misdiagnosis and constipation
• Misdiagnosis and growth restriction
• Misdiagnosis and weight loss
• Misdiagnosis and pregnancy complications
• Misdiagnosis and celiac disease
• Misdiagnosis and autoimmune disease
• Misdiagnosis and malnutrition
• Misdiagnosis and anemia
• Misdiagnosis and gluten intolerance
• Misdiagnosis and osteoporosis
• Diagnosis
• Diagnosis and blood test
• Diagnosis and endoscopy
• Diagnosis and biopsy
• Diagnosis and bowel biopsy
• Diagnosis and tissue sample
• Diagnosis and celiac disease
• Diagnosis and gluten intolerance
• Diagnosis and abdominal bloating
• Diagnosis and abdominal pain
• Diagnosis and flatulence
• Diagnosis and diarrhea
• Diagnosis and constipation
• Diagnosis and change in bowel habit
• Diagnosis and headaches
• Diagnosis and antibodies
• Diagnosis and rashes
• Diagnosis and growth restriction
• Diagnosis and weight loss
• Diagnosis and pregnancy complications
• Diagnosis and celiac disease
• Diagnosis and autoimmune disease
• Diagnosis and malnutrition
• Diagnosis and anemia
• Diagnosis and gluten intolerance
• Diagnosis and osteoporosis
• Research
• Research and breast feeding
• Research and celiac disease
• Research and gluten intolerance
• Research and autoimmune disease
• Research and vaccine

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