Where does the Universe end? Is time real? What are the causes of mental disorders? We’ll investigate number three. The truth about celiac and mental health is painful.
There is a simple blood test to check for CD. A biopsy of the intestine is required to confirm a CD diagnosis.
Celiac Disease is estimated to affect 1.4% of world population.
Consider this: In the United States it is only 1%. According to some estimates, 83% of celiac patients don’t even know they have it. This is due to both not being properly diagnosed and being misdiagnosed.
Celiac disease is a serious condition that can lead to a variety of medical problems, including mental and emotional disorders. We need to discuss it. In two parts, we’ll get to the point. We’ll start with celiac and then move on to the mental health link in part 2.
Let’s roll…
What causes celiac?
Celiac disease is a serious auto-immune disease. It occurs in genetically susceptible people. In these people, gluten a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye and triticale, (a hybrid wheat-rye), triggers an immune reaction that attacks the villi, which are small projections on the small intestinal.
This is a serious problem, because damaged villi prevent proper absorption. CD can occur at any age once an individual starts consuming gluten. The term “celiac disease” is used to describe any condition affecting the abdominal cavity or abdomen.
Silent celiac disease, not a classic, but a non-classical form of celiac.
There are three types of CDs: classical, non-classical and silent…
Classical
Classic CD patients show signs and symptoms such as diarrhea, steatorrhea and weight loss in children.
Non-classical
Patients with non-classical CD may experience mild gastrointestinal symptoms, without any clear signs of malabsorption. They may also have symptoms that seem unrelated. Patients can also experience abdominal pain and distention, iron deficiency, chronic fatigue, chronic headaches, peripheral neuropathy and unexplained chronically raised liver enzymes. Other symptoms include reduced bone mass, bone fractures and vitamin deficiencies (folic and B12), difficulty in losing weight, late or early menopause, infertility and dermatitis hypetiformis.
Silent
Asymptomatic CD is another name for silent CD. The patients don’t show symptoms but still suffer damage to their villi. Even though patients believed they did not have symptoms, studies show that after a gluten-free diet they experienced better health in the gastrointestinal system and overall.
Heredity
A person with a CD first-degree relative, such as a parent, child or sibling, has a one in 10 chance of getting the disease. Even if there are no symptoms, all first-degree relatives need to be screened. The risk of CD is also increased in second-degree relatives, including grandchildren, grandparents, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews.
Diagnostic testing and confirmation
There is a simple blood test to check for CD. A biopsy of the intestine is required to confirm a CD diagnosis. You can learn so much about test and confirm. Click on those links.