Allergies

What Happens With Celiac Disease

What Happens With Celiac Disease

When individuals with CD ingest gluten, the villi, tiny hair-like projections in the small intestine that absorb nutrients from food, are damaged.  This is due to an immunological reaction to gluten.  Damaged villi do not effectively absorb basic nutrients — proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and, in some cases, water and bile salts.  If CD is left untreated, damage to the small bowel can be chronic and life threatening, causing an increased risk of associated disorders — both nutritional and immune related.

Some long-term conditions that can result from untreated CD:

• Iron deficiency anemia
• Osteoporosis
• Vitamin K deficiency associated with risk for hemorrhaging
• Vitamin and mineral deficiencies
• Central and peripheral nervous system disorders — usually due to unsuspected nutrient deficiencies
• Pancreatic insufficiency
• Intestinal Lymphomas and other GI cancers
• Lactose intolerance
• Neurological manifestations

Other associated autoimmune disorders:

• Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH)
• Insulin-dependent Type I Diabetes Mellitus
• Thyroid Disease
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
• Liver Diseases

Less commonly linked to CD:

• Addison’s Disease
• Chronic Active Hepatitis
• Down Syndrome
• Rheumatoid Arthritis
• Turner Syndrome
• Williams Syndrome
• Sjögren’s Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Alopecia Areata
• Scleroderma