digestive disorders
Celiac Disease
Symptoms of Celiac Disease
Some people develop celiac symptoms as children. Other people do not develop symptoms of celiac until adulthood. The severity of symptoms depends on how much of the small intestine is affected. Adults may have digestive symptoms or other symptoms. Many adults have no digestive symptoms at all. Most affected adults have weakness and loss of appetite. Diarrhea, often with oily or greasy-appearing stool, is common. Some people are undernourished, have mild weight loss and anemia, or have mouth sores and an inflamed tongue. People commonly have thinning bones (osteoporosis or osteopenia). About 10% of people with celiac disease develop a painful, itchy rash with small blisters—a disease called Dermatitis Herpetiformis . Both men and women may have fertility problems. In children, symptoms can begin in infancy or early childhood after cereals (most of which contain gluten) are introduced. Some children have only mild upset stomach, whereas others develop painful abdominal bloating and have light-colored, unusually foul-smelling, bulky stools (steatorrhea). Children typically fail to grow at a normal rate and appear weak, pale, and listless. The nutritional deficiencies resulting from malabsorption in celiac disease can cause additional symptoms, which tend to be more prominent in children. Some children develop growth abnormalities, such as short stature. Overview of Anemia (low blood count), causing fatigue and weakness, develops as a result of iron deficiency. Low protein levels in the blood can lead to fluid retention and tissue swelling (edema). 