| Celiac disease is an auto immune disorder in which | | | | person who is supposedly allergic to gluten may |
| the small intestine reacts to the presence of | | | | consume foods containing gluten and yet not |
| protein found naturally in wheat, rye and barley. | | | | experience any allergic reactions for quite some |
| This protein is called gluten and, for unknown | | | | time. However, in an abrupt turn of events, the |
| reasons, it causes allergic reactions in the small | | | | person suffers from a chronic allergic reaction |
| intestines, which - when left untreated - could lead | | | | arising from auto immune response. |
| to serious health problems. | | | | Medical experts suggest that environmental |
| When inside the body, the immune system views | | | | factors, besides genes and heredity, may play a |
| gluten as a threat thereby releasing antibodies to | | | | critical role in the onset of celiac disease. There |
| fight it, as its automatic reaction. Nevertheless, as | | | | are two possible scenarios. One, a person may |
| the anti-bodies destroy gluten, it also damages the | | | | suffer from symptoms associated with celiac |
| villi which are found in the intestine. | | | | disease and yet, does not have it. The second |
| Villus is a small projection responsible for the | | | | situation is a person who experiences different |
| absorption of nutrients and their delivery into the | | | | symptoms and actually suffers from celiac |
| bloodstream for circulation. When the villi are | | | | disease, but is not diagnosed early. |
| damaged, the absorption of the essential nutrients | | | | There is no exemption to this disease. Anyone is |
| from food eaten is compromised. Thus, celiac | | | | vulnerable. No race, culture or nationality is |
| disease or gluten allergy can damage the small | | | | immune from it. Nor is there a limit to the ages of |
| intestine and at the same time, wreaks havoc to | | | | people stricken. Further, the symptoms vary |
| the whole body. | | | | from one person to another and this is what |
| Another condition that may arise from | | | | makes the diagnosis difficult. |
| gluten-induced allergic reaction in the small intestine | | | | There are two classifications of the symptoms of |
| is 'leaky gut' syndrome. This is seriously dangerous | | | | this disease. These are the gastrointestinal and |
| because the intestines expand, which allows entry | | | | non-gastrointestinal symptoms. When it comes to |
| of not only the nutrients but toxic substances as | | | | children, they may show different set of |
| well. As this happens, the body struggles to fight | | | | symptoms which may include delayed puberty |
| the toxins and most often ends up incurring | | | | and failure to concentrate. |
| damage to the body. | | | | Dermatitis herpetiformis, a kind of skin infection, is |
| Strange it may seem, celiac disease is among the | | | | closely linked to celiac disease, although the |
| most common illnesses the world faces, but its | | | | correlation between skin infection and allergic |
| early diagnosis remains evasive. Quite often, the | | | | reaction in the small intestine is a mystery. As of |
| symptoms are misunderstood to be another | | | | now, the only effective cure is prevention. People |
| complication until such time that the damage to | | | | who are allergic to gluten are admonished to |
| the body is already irreversible. For instance, a | | | | eradicate it from their diet. |