About Celiac Disease
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease which is an intolerance to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley.
There is a wide spectrum of symptoms and there is no one symptom that a person must have to be diagnosed. The symptoms include but are not limited to: being 100% asymptomatic, upset stomach, vommiting, diarrhea, symptoms that mimic irritable bowel syndrome (ibs), migraines, bone fractures, osteopenia, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin deficiencies, anemia, missing tooth enamel, failure to thrive in children, short stature in children, thyroid problems and infertility.
Undiagnosed and untreated Celiac Disease increases a person's risk for certain types of autoimmune diseases and cancers. Celiac Disease is diagnosed through a blood test and a biopsy of the small intestine. There is one and only one treatment for Celiac, a strict gluten-free diet. By removing all gluten, a person can help to heal themselves and live a healthy life. Celiac Disease is a genetic disease and therefore if one person in a family has it, all immediate relatives should be tested whether or not they show symptoms.
(This explanation of Celiac Disease was written by Susan Cohen. The purpose of this explanation is to provide information about Celiac Disease which is helpful to understanding the stories told in this documentary. It should not be used in place of consulting a physican about Celiac Disease.)
There is a wide spectrum of symptoms and there is no one symptom that a person must have to be diagnosed. The symptoms include but are not limited to: being 100% asymptomatic, upset stomach, vommiting, diarrhea, symptoms that mimic irritable bowel syndrome (ibs), migraines, bone fractures, osteopenia, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, vitamin deficiencies, anemia, missing tooth enamel, failure to thrive in children, short stature in children, thyroid problems and infertility.
Undiagnosed and untreated Celiac Disease increases a person's risk for certain types of autoimmune diseases and cancers. Celiac Disease is diagnosed through a blood test and a biopsy of the small intestine. There is one and only one treatment for Celiac, a strict gluten-free diet. By removing all gluten, a person can help to heal themselves and live a healthy life. Celiac Disease is a genetic disease and therefore if one person in a family has it, all immediate relatives should be tested whether or not they show symptoms.
(This explanation of Celiac Disease was written by Susan Cohen. The purpose of this explanation is to provide information about Celiac Disease which is helpful to understanding the stories told in this documentary. It should not be used in place of consulting a physican about Celiac Disease.)
