By Annette Pinder 

Celiac disease is a serious autoimmune disease that is often genetic. Celiac disease is triggered by consuming a protein called gluten, found in foods that contain wheat, barley, and rye. When an individual who has celiac disease eats gluten, the immune system sees it as a threat and attacks it. When this occurs, the villi of the intestines, which digest the gluten, along with other foods in the process, get damaged, making it nearly impossible for the body to absorb nutrients, which leads to malnourishment. 

Celiac disease affects 1 in 133 people and 3 million people in the United States, and as many as 80 percent of people are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. Testing for celiac disease starts with a simple blood test. Since celiac disease is hereditary, all first- and second-degree relatives should be tested.  

Common celiac symptoms are anemia, anxiety, bloating or gas, constipation, delayed growth in children, depression, diarrhea, discolored teeth, fatigue/tiredness, headaches or migraines, infertility, irritability, itchy skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis), joint pain, liver disease, pale mouth sores, poor weight gain, thin bones, and tingling/numbness. 

Left untreated, celiac disease can lead to infertility, neurological disorders, some cancers, and onset of other autoimmune diseases, like diabetes, thyroid disease, and Sjögren’s. The only current available treatment for celiac disease is maintaining a 100 percent strict gluten free diet.  

Researchers are constantly working to get a better understanding of celiac disease, and to also explore potential drug treatments. One treatment being studied uses nanoparticles to program the immune system to tolerate gluten, and early results have shown promise.  

Learn more about celiac disease including information related to drug development and research, at www.beyondceliac.org.