Symptoms of celiac disease
In the foreground of the symptoms of gluten intolerance/coeliac disease are disturbances of the general condition, an altered stool behavior and a (usually painful) flatulence of the abdomen (=meteorism). Patients feel ill, have limited performance and are sometimes very bad-tempered. They are weakened and lose weight.
The bowel movement has a mushy consistency, smells bad and accumulates in large quantities. The abdomen of the patients is bloated because the digestion of sugars (=carbohydrates) is impaired. Patients with celiac disease often have abdominal pain and flatulence (flatulence) is common.
Diagnosis of celiac disease
To diagnose celiac disease, a blood sample is tested for the presence of various antibodies. A positive test for gliadin-IgA-antibody (=antibody against gliadin), endomysium-IgA-antibody (=antibody against muscle components) and for tissue glutaminase-IgA-antibody (=antibody against the enzyme tissue glutaminase of the body cells), which is the most typical and therefore most specific antibody for the sprue, means that these antibodies are present. In addition, a tissue sample (= biopsy) from the small intestine must be taken and examined to confirm the diagnosis.
Specific cell changes in the tissue sample indicate celiac disease: Microscopic examinations show a reduction of the small intestinal villi and an infiltration of the mucosa with inflammatory cells (lymphocytes and plasma cells). A further diagnostic criterion is the improvement of the symptoms as well as the decrease in autoantibody levels in the blood under gluten-free diets. In the course of the diagnosis of celiac disease, the HLA is also determined.Symptoms resulting from the disturbed absorption of nutrients and minerals are also a
- Iron deficiency with anemia (= anaemia)
- A vitamin B12 loss and
- A lack of calcium.
There is no causal (eliminating the cause) therapy for celiac disease.
The disease is not curable, but it can be treated well by a gluten-free diet, a so-called elimination diet, so that no more symptoms occur within a few weeks. This elimination diet must be followed for the rest of one’s life. Gluten-free foods include Products made from wheat, oats, barley, rye, spelt or green spelt should not be consumed.
If children have a transient, i.e. temporary, coeliac condition that is receding, gluten re-exposure is possible after several years of therapy. This can be done when the levels of antibodies in the blood have dropped, which serve as parameters for observing the course of the disease.
- Potatoes
- Corn
- Rice,
- Millet and
- Soy.
