Did you know that only 20% of celiacs are diagnosed? This is why it is considered an underdiagnosed disease, mainly because of its multiple extra-digestive manifestations.
People with celiac disease lose hairiness in the small intestine, and many of the nutrients they ingest cannot be absorbed properly; this is why they often suffer from vitamin and iron deficiencies.
Two things are clear: celiac disease cannot manifest itself if gluten is not consumed, and no one is born with celiac disease. In this sense, some specialists recommend not introducing gluten before 4 months of age or after 7 months of age.
The symptoms of celiac disease are different in each case, and it is important to know them in order to detect the disease. It is a multisystemic pathology, so its symptoms can occur throughout the body. Moreover, these are varied and multiple, so it is also considered by experts as a “chameleon-like” disease.
Celiac symptoms in children
The main symptoms that may reflect that a child has celiac disease are:
- Abdominal distention
- Below-average growth
- Diarrhea, vomiting and nausea
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Mouth sores
- Atopic dermatitis
- Irritability
Celiac symptoms in adolescents
- Abdominal pain
- Skin problems
- Short stature
- Delayed menstruation
- Iron deficiency anemia
Celiac symptoms in adults
- Relation with autoimmune diseases, such as diabetes.
- Cutaneous manifestations: psoriasis, dermatitis herpetiformis, etc.
- Neurological pathologies
- Repeated miscarriages, infertility, irregular menstruation, etc.
- Bone and joint problems: osteoporosis, etc.
Foods for celiacs
As previously mentioned, the substance to avoid for people with celiac disease is gluten, which can be found in:
- Bread and wheat, barley, rye and oat flours.
- Pasta
- Pastries
- Wheat semolina
- Milks
- Chocolate
- Drinks or infusions with cereals
There are other foods that could also have gluten and should be checked: charcuterie, cheese, preserves, sweets and coffee.
Even so, there are more and more foods on the market that are also sold gluten-free.
How to know if you have celiac disease
Celiac disease can occur at any time in life, and its diagnosis is made by testing for specific antibodies in the blood.