How Celiac Disease Affects the Digestive System

Published by Claudia Giunta.

Celiac disease is a chronic digestive and immune disorder that damages the small intestine. The disease is triggered by eating foods containing gluten that interfere with the body’s nutrient absorption. Here are the quick facts:

• It’s estimated that only 1 in 133 Americans (1% of the population) have celiac disease.
• Celiac disease can affect men and women of all ages and races. 
• 83% of Americans with celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.
• The average person waits 6-10 years to be correctly diagnosed.
• The only existing treatment for celiac disease is a 100% gluten-free diet.
• Celiac disease is genetic.

Let’s take a look at how celiac disease is different from gluten intolerance and how Nova Vita can help manage symptoms.

Nova Vita Solutions

Your gut health majorly impacts your body’s systems and goes beyond digestion and nutrient absorption. Your gut health also affects your central nervous system and is essential to your whole-body health. Nova Vita Wellness Centers can help you manage your long-term disease. Our lab panels can assess your absorption of some nutrients. Our IV Vitamin infusions bypass the GI system which allows the essential nutrients such as vitamin C, zinc, B-complex vitamins, and Glutathione, all of which can help provide relief from poor gut health systems, to be absorbed at about 100%. 

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is a long-term chronic digestive and immune disorder that damages your small intestine. The damage can prevent your body from properly absorbing vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients from food. This can lead to malnutrition and other severe health concerns. 

Celiac disease is caused by eating foods that contain gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other grains. Gluten isn’t just found in food but in other products like vitamins and supplements, hair and skin products, and toothpaste. When you have celiac disease and consume gluten, your immune system starts to attack and flatten the tiny bumps (villi) that line your small intestine. The villi help your body transfer nutrients from digested food into your bloodstream. Without villi, your body can’t get enough nutrients, no matter how much food you eat. 

Celiac disease is different from gluten sensitivity. While both can cause similar physical symptoms, such as abdominal pain and fatigue, gluten sensitivity doesn’t damage the small intestine. 

What Causes Celiac Disease?

While the exact cause of celiac disease is not known, research suggests that celiac disease only happens in people who have certain genes and eat foods that contain gluten. You may have celiac disease unknowingly because you don’t experience any symptoms.

What Are the Symptoms of Celiac Disease?

The symptoms of celiac disease vary from person to person and may come and go. Some individuals only have symptoms as adults, some as children, and some may not notice any symptoms. Common symptoms of celiac disease include: 

• Bloating
• Abdominal pain
• Chronic, long-term diarrhea or constipation
• Gas
• Weight loss
• Unexplained low blood count that leads to fatigue (anemia)
• Infertility
• Missed menstrual periods
• Weak and brittle bones at a young age, or bone fractures
• Numbness in the legs
• Loss of tooth enamel
• Muscle cramps or bone pain
• Joint pain
• Painful, itchy skin rash

Celiac disease may be misdiagnosed because its symptoms are similar to other digestive issues such as:

• Crohn’s disease
• Irritable bowel syndrome
• Infected colon
• Ulcerative colitis
• Intestinal infections
• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth 
• Eating disorder

How is Celiac Disease Diagnosed?

If you have symptoms of celiac disease, your healthcare practitioner will look at your medical and family history and do a physical examination. They may also suggest some tests such as:

• Blood Work: a blood lab panel can check the level of antibodies you have to gluten in your blood. People with celiac disease have higher than normal levels of these infection-fighting cells. 
• Biopsy: a biopsy is the most accurate way to determine if you have celiac tissue. Your healthcare provider will put an endoscope (a flexible tube with a camera) in your mouth, down your stomach, and into your small intestine. A tissue sample (biopsy) is then taken from your small intestine which is examined in a lab. 

How is Celiac Disease Treated? 

If you have celiac disease you have to follow a gluten-free diet for the rest of your life. Eating gluten will do more damage to your small intestine. Taking gluten out of your diet can stop most symptoms and help heal any damage to your small intestine. Your symptoms will likely get better in a few weeks and your small intestine should heal completely in 3 to 6 months, however, it will take longer for your body to heal the older you are.

Living a gluten-free lifestyle is easier said than done. This is because you’ll need to avoid all hidden sources of gluten, such as certain supplements, condiments, cosmetics, toothpaste, etc. Reading product labels to check whether or not they contain gluten is essential. For this reason, your provider may refer you to a registered dietician (a nutrition expert) specializing in celiac disease. Additionally, the Celiac Disease Foundation is a great resource for finding gluten-free substitutes and understanding how to eat gluten-free while still enjoying your diet. 

Your healthcare provider will follow your progress through regular blood tests. If your blood levels show low nutrient levels, your healthcare provider may advise certain supplements, infusions, and boosters to replenish any losses.

Living with Celiac Disease

If you are living with celiac disease, you’ll have to embrace a gluten-free diet, may need to increase your supplement intake, and may regularly need to get certain blood tests done. Stay on top of your health by maximizing your health and wellness resources. When seeing a medical professional for your disease, consider the following:

• Write down the names of any new diagnoses and medicines, treatments, or tests. Take note of any instructions your healthcare provider gives you.
• Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed, its side effects, and how it will help you. 
• Ask if your condition can be treated in any other way.
• Ask questions about why a test or procedure is recommended and how its results are analyzed. 

Nova Vita can help you manage your disease and your gut health so that you feel in control of your health. Visit our website to book an appointment today!