Nann/ Celiac disease

I read this in the paper the other day and thought I would share it with
you.



This was put in Dr. Donohue’s column.



Someone was asking questions about celiac disease and this is his response.



Not so many years ago, celiac disease was considered an exotic diagnosis. It
is now recognized as a common illness. Many people who had been told they
had irritable bowel syndrome have turned out to have celiac disease.



The problem is the digestive tract's sensitivity to gluten, a protein found
in many grains. In sensitive people, gluten disrupts the absorption of many
nutrients and brings on a host of symptoms. Weight loss is one prominent
symptom. Diarrhea is another.



Celiac patients complain of stomach bloating and stomach cramps. Since
vitamin D and calcium are poorly absorbed, celiac patients can develop
brittle bones.



Impaired absorption of vitamin K leads to easy bruising. Iron can’t get to
the bone marrow because the intestine blocks its passage into the blood.
Anemia develops.



These signs often are not full blown for many years. During this period,
people don’t feel quite right, but they don’t realize how bad they have felt
until they are treated and feel so much better than they did.



The treatment is avoidance of gluten. That means staying away from wheat,
barley, and rye, and all the hidden places those grains are found. Don’t
however, put yourself on the diet. You and other relatives should first be
tested for the illness. Going on the diet now can throw off the validity of
celiac-disease tests, and you’ll never know if you truly have the illness.
There is a genetic influence in this illness.



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Love and hugs Jo

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