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
