Celiac Disease

Symptoms

Celiac disease can be difficult to recognize because the symptoms vary from person to person, can affect adults and children, and can occur in the digestive system or in other parts of the body. The symptoms of celiac disease may include:

• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Oily, fatty or frothy stools
• Inability to gain weight
• Bloating
• Abdominal pain

Many adults with celiac disease do not suffer from "classic" symptoms but you may experience anemia, unexplained fatigue, mouth cancers, arthritis or joint pain, osteoporosis, missed periods, recurrent miscarriages, or depression. About 10% of people living with celiac disease also have dermatitis herpetiformis. This is an intensely itchy, burning skin rash that is usually found on the elbows, knees and buttocks. It appears as groups of small blisters that erupt and form small red lesions.

Although some people live with the disease for decades before being diagnosed, getting diagnosed as soon as possible is critical. The longer a person goes undiagnosed and untreated, the greater the chance he or she has of developing long-term complications such as malnutrition, liver diseases, and cancers of the intestine.