I am doing a report on celiac disease and nutrition. In my report I will tell you what celiac is and how the right or wrong nutrition can effect not only the disease, but also you body internally. I will explain how to find out if you have it. In the report I will describe signs, symptoms, risk factors, and treatments. I will also describe tests for it and other diseases associated with celiac. DEFINITION: Is a digestive disorder caused by eating the protein gluten. Gluten is found in bread, pasta, cookies, and many other foods containing wheat, barley, or rye.
If you consume foods with wheat, barley, and rye, foods that contain gluten experience an immune reaction in the small intestines and it causes damages to the inner layer of the small intestine. The inability to absorb other nutrients. When a person has celiac disease it can cause stomach pain and diarrhea. When you have these symptoms it can diminish the absorption of the other nutrients needed. When not receiving the other nutrients you can get a vitamin deficiency that deprives your brain, can effect your nervous system, bones, liver, and other organs and vital nourishment.
Symptoms. They say there is no typical signs of celiac disease and that most people have complaints of diarrhea, stomach pain, and bloating. These signs can lead doctors to think that you might have irritable bowl syndrome, gastric ulcers, chron’s disease, a parasite infection and anemia. The reason for this possible misdiagnosis is because these signs mimic the signs for those diseases listed above. Although celiac can also show itself in less noticeable ways such as, – moodiness -joint pain -muscle cramps -skin rash -Mouth sores – dental and or bone disorders ( osteoporosis ) -tingling in feet and legs ( neuropathy ).
The malabsortion of the nutrients that you are not receiving due to celiac may result in, -weight loss -diarrhea -tiredness, weakness -stunted growth in children. Causes: There are no known cause for celiac disease. The doctors are not quiet sure what cause this disease and why people get it. There are statements saying that people with diabetes and or if a family member has the disease that you are likely to get the disease as well. Although you may carry the gene it does not mean that you will have the disease.
They also know that something does happen to cause your bodies immune system to effect the reaction you have when consuming the gluten in foods. Most peoples small intestine is lined with tiny hair like, finger looking organism called villi. These villis help with the absorption of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from the food we eat. People with celiac have damaged villi. Their small intestine looks like a tile floor instead of a plushy floor or rug. So their body is unable to absorb the nutrients, vitamins, and minerals for health and growth.
Due to this non absorption all these are flushed out of their system and small intestine through their bowls. Complications: If you leave this disease untreated you can lead your body to several complications. The first is malnutrition, which can cause stunted growth and development due to lack of all nutrients your body needs. The second is loss of calcium and bone density, which can lead to osteoporosis. The third is lactose intolerant, which causes stomach pain and diarrhea. Once your intestine is healed you should be able to again eat and drink dairy products.
The third is cancer, which is caused by not maintaining your gluten free diet and some types of cancer you may get are intestinal lymphoma and bowl cancer. The fifth is neurological deficiencies, which can lead to disorders of the nervous system including seizures and nerve damage. Tests and Diagnosis: Some test and procedures the doctors or specialist use to diagnose a person with celiac disease are blood tests, collecting a sample of the small intestine, and by swallowing a camera to take pictures of your small intestine. A blood test can tell if you have higher levels of certain antibodies.
In people with this disease they will have high levels of antibodies due to they recognize gluten as a foreign substance and are trying to get rid of it. Collecting a piece of the small intestine to confirm the diagnosis is to check to see if the villi is damaged. The doctors do this by putting an endoscope through your mouth into the esophagus and down to the stomach to be able to examine it under a microscope. The swallowing of the camera is a what is called a capsule endoscopy. As this capsule goes through your digestive system it takes thousands of pictures and then the pictures go to a recorder that you wear on a belt.your doctor will then view them to see the inside of your small intestine.
The capsule will go through your body and leave it through your stool and is able to be flushed. All though sometimes people will try a gluten free diet on their own to see if it helps and takes care of the symptoms. Now by people doing this before seeing a doctor could effect the results or diagnosis of the blood test and could come back normal. Your best bet is to see a doctor first. Treatments and Drugs: Celiac disease has no cure but you can seriously manage it through the rite diet.
Now I know it’s a change for people, changing the foods you eat but is worth saving your body to live a healthy life. These changes to your diet include avoiding gluten. Some foods to avoid are, barley, bulgur, durham, farina, graham flour, rye, semolina, spelt which is a form of wheat, triticale, and wheat. Due to this you might need to see a dietician. By doing these changes to your diet can heal your small intestine and with in several weeks you will start to feel a lot better. Complete healing and regrowth of the villi could take months, years as long as three years.
Children heal a lot faster and quicker then adults will heal. If you have severe deficiencies of nutrition you may want and or need to take supplements for minerals and vitamins that your body needs for health and growth and to turn the deficiencies around. You will want to increase the levels of your calcium, folate, iron, and vitamin b12. You can take them in pill form or by injections depending or how bad your deficiency is. As well as taking steroids for the inflammation in the intestine. Remember avoid foods with gluten in it. So if the does not say gluten free you need to not eat it.
Make sure the food is made with corn, rice, soy or other gluten free grains. Stay away as well from foods that are made in a factory containing wheat or other contaminating products. These products may include beer, bread, pies, cakes, cereals, candies, crackers, croutons, gravies, imitation meats and or seafood, oats, and pasta. Foods you are allowed to eat as funny as that sounds are amaranth, arrowroot, buckwheat, corn, gluten free flours, pure corn tortillas, quinoa, rice, and tapioca. Others include fresh meats and seafood and poultry. Fruits are good to eat. Most of your dairy products.
Rice, vegetables, and wine and distilled liquors. Also includes ciders and spirits. Yes you still can eat breads and pasta due to now there are an amazingly higher number of these products on the shelf that are gluten free. The final part of my paper is to let you know what other diseases are and could be associated with celiac. Type 1 diabetes is common with ones who have celiac disease. Dermatitis Herpetiformis which is a skin condition. Down syndrome and epilepsy are also associated with celiac disease. Liver and kidney diseases as well as heart failure. These are just a few that are associated with celiac.
There is a ton more of diseases and disorders that are commonly known to go along with celiac disease. My conclusion of this report is that this is and or can be a dangerous and deadly disease if you do not take care of yourself and do the right things to keep you healthy. I myself no a child who has this disease as well as type 1 diabetes and is now on four more medications to help get it under control due to not following the right diet and keeping yourself healthy. So for all who have this disease or disorder take good care of yourself and eat a healthy nutritional diet that you are supposed to. This way you can lead a happy healthy life.