Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder which is also called “great mimic” disease. People who suffer from it have to be on a gluten-free diet since it causes serious damage to the small intestine over time. Even though researchers cannot fully comprehend why it happens but when people eat wheat, rye, and barley which are rich in protein, their immune system attacks the lining of the small intestine.
The symptom of this illness include diarrhea, constipation, fatigue, gas, weight loss, etc. and since these are very common meaning that they can be related to numerous other disorders, celiac disease can go misdiagnosed and people can suffer from it for years, without even knowing. If you suspect to suffer from this condition, nowadays, you can take the imaware™ blood test on your own. It is a highly precise test that you can complete in 5 minutes and get the results that you can forward to your doctor in order to start the treatment. The therapy will differ depending on the severity of the illness, but in most cases, changing the diet will be enough. However, if you weren’t diagnosed and treated during the early stages, numerous complications can occur, and we are going to discuss some of them.
The very first consequence we are going to mention is malnutrition. When you suffer from this condition, due to the inflammation, your intestine is not able to absorb all the nutrients, which means that it almost doesn’t matter if your diet is based on fruits, veggies, and good fats – your body is still not going to get the essential vitamins, minerals, and proteins. This often results in having magnesium, calcium, iron, Vitamins D and B-12 deficiency, and so on.
Consequently, since your body is not getting enough calcium, the loss of bone density i.e. osteoporosis is other common complication. When you suffer from this ailment your bones become extremely brittle meaning that you are more prone to different kinds of injuries. Clearly, this is something that is more likely to occur as we grow older but keep in mind that the chances of having these conditions if you suffer from celiac disease are higher.
Furthermore, some fertility problems can also occur. Women who didn’t receive treatment for this illness can experience some difficulties when trying to get pregnant and are also more likely to have a miscarriage. Because of this, the blood test for diagnosing this ailment is at the top of the list for women who struggle with fertility. In addition, if they manage to get pregnant, they are probably going to give birth to babies with low birth-weight.
Moreover, the lack of nutrients can also affect your nervous system. The chances of having neuropathy and ataxia i.e. movement control problems are greater to happen if you don’t receive proper treatment on time.
Finally, if left untreated, this condition can increase your chances of suffering from lymphoma and small bowel cancer. It doesn’t mean that this is necessarily going to happen – it just means that the chances of this occurring are a bit higher. If the celiac disease goes untreated for many years, you run the risk of developing malignant tumors.
To conclude, in this article, we have discussed five common complications of this illness. We have also told you how you can get tested at home, which is something you should do as soon as possible, if you have any suspicions.
