What Causes It?

Experts don’t know exactly why people get celiac disease, which is also called gluten intolerance, celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy. The disease has some genetic background, which means that it may run in families. Just like eye or hair color, people inherit the genes that make them more likely to get celiac disease from their parents and grandparents. If an immediate family member (such as a parent or a sibling) has celiac disease, there’s about a 5% to 10% chance that you could have it, too. Celiac disease affects people of all heritages and backgrounds.

The digestive system is the set of organs that digest food and absorb the important nutrients the body needs to stay healthy and grow. One important part of thedigestive system is the small intestine, which is lined with millions of microscopic, finger-like projections called villi (pronounced: vih-lye). Nutrients are absorbed into the body through the villi. People who have celiac (pronounced: see-lee-ak) disease have a disorder that makes their bodies react to gluten. When they eat gluten, an immune system reaction to the protein gradually damages the villi in the small intestine. When the villi are damaged, the body is unable to absorb the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to stay healthy. People with celiac disease are therefore at risk of malnutrition and can develop anemia (a decreased number of red blood cells due to lack of iron) or osteoporosis (brittle bones from lack of calcium).

The body’s inability to absorb nutrients can also mean that young people with untreated celiac disease may not grow properly and may have weight loss and fatigue. In addition, people who have celiac disease may be prone to developing other diseases, such as thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, and gastrointestinal cancer. Symptoms of celiac disease include : gas, diarrhea, stomach pain, feeling very tired, change in mood, weight loss, a very itchy skin rash with blisters, slowed growth Most people with celiac disease have one or more symptoms, but not all have digestive problems. And some people with the disease dont have any symptoms. Having one or more of these symptoms does not mean a person has celiac disease because many other disorders include these symptoms.

The digestive system is the set of organs that digest food and absorb the important nutrients the body needs to stay healthy and grow. One important part of thedigestive system is the small intestine, which is lined with millions of microscopic, finger-like projections called villi (pronounced: vih-lye). Nutrients are absorbed into the body through the villi. People who have celiac (pronounced: see-lee-ak) disease have a disorder that makes their bodies react to gluten. When they eat gluten, an immune system reaction to the protein gradually damages the villi in the small intestine. When the villi are damaged, the body is unable to absorb the vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients it needs to stay healthy. People with celiac disease are therefore at risk of malnutrition and can develop anemia (a decreased number of red blood cells due to lack of iron) or osteoporosis (brittle bones from lack of calcium).

The body’s inability to absorb nutrients can also mean that young people with untreated celiac disease may not grow properly and may have weight loss and fatigue. In addition, people who have celiac disease may be prone to developing other diseases, such as thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, and gastrointestinal cancer. Symptoms of celiac disease include : gas, diarrhea, stomach pain, feeling very tired, change in mood, weight loss, a very itchy skin rash with blisters, slowed growth Most people with celiac disease have one or more symptoms, but not all have digestive problems. And some people with the disease dont have any symptoms. Having one or more of these symptoms does not mean a person has celiac disease because many other disorders include these symptoms.