Most people opt for not including gluten in their diet in order to sustain a healthy lifestyle, however, individuals have been affected by celiac disease – a chronic ailment of being intolerant to gluten – for hundreds of years. People affected cannot digest food produced from specific grains that contain gluten, with wheat being the usual grain they avoid. The illness can cause gastrointestinal problems, however, in the long run, it can create symptoms that are related to an early death.
Although you might think it is not, celiac is diagnosed more often than ever before, which means that there is a need to raise awareness of how people affected by this disease live. If you are affected by this disease or if you know someone who is affected, you are probably reading this article to better understand this condition. In the text below, you will learn ten things about this dangerous condition called celiac. Let’s take a closer look:
1. It is an Autoimmune Illness
Individuals who have this condition have a bad reaction when they consume products containing gluten. When it moves through their digestive system, their immune system thinks that gluten is a danger to the body, hence, it attacks the small intestine. This causes inflammation that can easily damage the organ lining. If this happens for a longer period, the intestine can have problems with taking in and breaking down useful vitamins and minerals from other products. This might lead to other dangerous health conditions such as anemia.
2. Celiac Is Genetically Transmitted from The Parents
In almost all diagnoses of this disease, people get affected by this illness because of a shift in their genes. The HLA-DQB1 and HLA-DQA1 help with producing useful proteins – and those proteins allow the immune system to locate dangerous substances. Usually, the body would not label gluten as a danger, however, since they have a gene shift, the immune system of people affected treat gluten as a foreign body.
According to the website Healthcare Weekly, individuals with siblings, parents, or children with celiac have a four to fifteen percent chance of getting the illness. Keep in mind that not all people with this gene mutation get the illness. Thirty percent of the world’s population has the gene changes, but only three percent actually develop it.
3. People Should Be Careful About the Make-up They Buy
As previously mentioned, individuals who have this condition cannot process gluten that can be found in wheat and other grains – and because of this, they must have specific and strict diets to avoid and manage the symptoms. But, you should be aware that gluten is not limited to food – it can also be commonly found in make-up. By using make-up that contains gluten, people can develop painful rashes, hence, it is crucial to purchase gluten-free cosmetic products.
4. There Are Over 250 Symptoms of the Illness
Though most people connect this illness with the stomach, the symptoms can be felt over the entire body. Children with celiac can have symptoms and conditions such as bloating, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, while adults might experience other symptoms and conditions like arthritis and overwhelming fatigue. It is impossible to list all the symptoms someone can have but, the most common ones include anxiety, teeth problems, depression, liver illnesses, and the loss of fertility.
5. No, People With This Illness Do Not Have an Allergy
Washington Post suggests that a lot of people think that having celiac means that people have an allergy to wheat, but this is not entirely true. Of course, it is correct that they cannot consume gluten, but it is not an allergy. Instead of reacting to the wheat, their bodies react to a protein found in the grain and other grains.
6. You Can Find Out if You Have it By a Blood Test
It used to be extremely complicated to determine whether or not someone has celiac, and is usually required doctors to monitor their patient reaction to gluten. However, today, all you will have to do is take a simple blood test. The experts at Imaware™ have developed a home blood test kit, hence, they allowed people to find out if they have this disorder from the comfort of their home.
7. It Can Occur At Any Time and At Any Age
Now, just because you did not develop celiac as a child or young adult it does not mean that you will not get it at some point. It can occur at any age and time, even in individuals whose blood test came back negative. Celiac usually develops from the ages of 8 to 12 months, and later in life, from the ages of 40 to 60.
8. Not Consuming Gluten Might Not Work For Everyone
Reports from Forbes, suggest that the best way to manage the symptoms is to entirely avoid products containing gluten, but it might not work all the time. In some patients, the damaged stomach lining does not get better, even after a year of having a diet that does not include gluten. The best explanation would be that people do not follow their strict diets, or they might have other health problems like being lactose intolerant or bacterial overgrowth.
9. People Do Not Have To Avoid All Grains
Just because individuals cannot consume gluten, that does not mean that they need to avoid absolutely all grains. There is a wide range of grains and seeds that do not contain gluten and people can safely consume them without worrying about feeling the painful symptoms. People can opt for eating amaranth, buckwheat, rice, and millet.
Conclusion
Now, if you or someone you know suffers from celiac, this article probably taught you a lot of things that you did not know about it. The most important thing to remember that it is extremely important to follow a strict diet. Hence, if you read this article because you wanted to learn what people with this illness go through, make sure that you do not serve a meal containing gluten to your friend suffering from celiac.
