What Happens With Celiac Disease!!!

When individuals with Celiac Disease 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 Celiac Disease 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 Celiac Disease:

• Iron deficiency anemia
• Early onset osteoporosis or osteopenia
• 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 (malignancies)
• Neurological manifestations
• Gall bladder malfunction

Other associated autoimmune disorders:

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

Less commonly linked to Celiac Disease:

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