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Symptoms and co-occuring diseases of Celiac Diseases:

Celiac Disease presents in so many different ways, that is has become known as the "chameleon of the gastroenterology". Due to the nonspecific symptoms, Celiac Disease is often diagnosed late or sometimes not even considered.

The symptoms of classical Celiac Disease usually begin between the first and third years of life.

Signs of disease in children and adults include:

Bloated belly (for small children, this presents with thin arms and legs, as well as wrinkles around the buttocks)
Diarrhea or fat (large, clay-colored) stool
Stomach pain
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Muscle weakness
Behavior changes (for children, especially whininess and tearfulness)

For children, in particular, a strikingly serious iron deficiency often indicates Celiac Disease, as well as a failure to thrive.

Meanwhile, the presentation of Celiac Disease has changed. The typical form in small children is no longer the one most frequently observed by doctors. More often, they describe:

Indigestion
Stomach pain
Bloating
Changes in stool
Insomnia
Fatigue
Depressions
Hematoma
Edema
Anemia
Osteoporosis
Changes in tooth enamel
Unpleasant tingling in hands or feet, strange and painful sensations or numbness

Sometimes, abnormal blood work, such as slightly elevated transaminase levels or some dysfunction in the thyroid, provides the only indication of Celiac Disease. The number of people for whom Celiac Disease is diagnosed as a result of digestive tract complaints is decreasing. The number of people whose Celiac Disease is detected by screenings of risk groups, however, is increasing. These risk groups include patients with other autoimmune diseases such as Diabetes or Thyroid Gland Disorders, as well as relatives of individuals with Celiac Disease.

Celiac Disease (also: Gluten Intolerance) has a strong genetic component

If a family member has diagnosed Celiac Disease, at least the first-degree relatives (parents, children), and possibly second-degree relatives (siblings, grandparents, grandchildren) should have a blood test for transglutaminase antibodies. In such family screenings, physicians constantly discover symptom-free celiac individuals.

Even in these cases, patients should adhere strictly to a gluten-free diet, because Celiac Disease always involves an increased risk of other diseases, for example:

Lactose Intolerance
Fructose Malabsorption
Histamine Intolerance
Food allergies
Disordered bacterial colonization of the small intestine
Irritable bowel syndrome
Inflammation of the colon
Autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 Diabetes, Basedow's Disease (Hyperthyroidism), Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (Hypothyroidism), Crohn's Disease (a chronic inflammatory disease).

Strict avoidance of gluten minimizes the risk of co-morbidity and complications.

In most cases, the small intestine of individuals with Celiac Disease is severely damaged at the time of diagnosis. This can lead, temporarily, to further intolerances. The most common are Lactose Intolerance and Fructose Malabsorption. These temporary intolerances have two causes. Firstly, the damaged intestinal wall is not able to produce the necessary enzymes and transport molecules to a sufficient degree. Secondly, the reduced intestinal surface plays a role: in the healthy state, the small intestine has an enormously large surface. So-called intestinal villi protrude like fingers into it. The villi, in turn, are occupied by so-called microvilli, protuberances of the cell membrane, which further enlarges the surface of the intestine. Nutrients from the intestine enter the blood stream via this large surface. When the intestines are inflamed, the microvilli, or (in the worst cases) even the villi, recede - the surface of the small intestine is thus drastically reduced. Over the smaller area, the body can absorb fewer substances via the intestinal wall.

Chances of recovery with Celiac Disease (Gluten Intolerance)

In the vast majority of cases, affected individuals only need to avoid lactose and fructose in the early days. When the intestines have had time to regenerate, most individuals tolerate dairy products and fructose-containing foods again. The Gluten Intolerance, however, will remain forever: Celiac Disease is an incurable autoimmune disease.