What is Celiac Disease and What Causes it?

From a medical point of view, celiac disease is one of the most common digestive diseases. It has been estimated that 1 in every 133 people in the United States alone has it. This is a very serious condition that may lead to further health problems if it is not diagnosed and treated timely. It is certainly worth learning about its nature and causes.

Celiac disease causes damage of the small intestine. This is done in a fairly complex way which has to be explained in detail. Everything starts with gluten. This is a protein found in many foods that we eat and more specifically, in some grains. It may also be present in pills and cosmetic products like lip balms.

In patients with celiac disease, the immune system attacks the gluten and causes harm to the small intestine. To be specific, the immune system damages and destroys the villi. These are the thin extensions of tissue on the inner walls the small intestine. The villi are extremely important as nutrients get into the blood stream through them. If they are not sufficient or they do not work properly, your body will not get sufficient amounts of nutrients from the food that you eat.

People with this kind of digestive disease are at higher risk of anemia and osteoporosis. It has been found that this condition may increase the risk of lymphoma as well. In children, this digestive disease may cause the weakening of the bones and raise the risk of fractures. Normal growth may be affected as well.

The causes of celiac disease are not yet known. Researchers believe that a certain type of gene must be responsible for it. However, it has not been identified yet.

What we know is that this digestive disease may run in families. Individuals who have a parent, sibling or child suffering from this condition are six times more likely to develop it as well. The risk is higher, but this does not mean that such people will certainly get ill. It has also been found that individuals with some genetic disorders such as Down syndrome and Turner syndrome are more likely to get celiac disease.

Unfortunately, since the causes of this digestive disease are not known, there is no way in which it can be prevented. The important thing is for its signs and symptoms to be noticed timely and for medical help to be sought immediately. Once the condition is diagnosed, treatment will start immediately.