Tuesday, March 29, 2016

Day 1 of 2 Facts About Celiac Disease You May Not Know

There are many people jumping on the gluten free wagon, without knowing if they have a gluten intolerance or actually have Celiac disease.  Many people do not realize how prevalant and how underdiagnosised Celiac disease is.  Over the next few days I will go over some facts many do not know or realize.

1.  There are over 300 known symptoms of Celiac disease.  Celiac disease can be difficult to diagnose because it affects people differently.  In fact, some people with the disease have no symptoms at all.

2.  Digestive symptoms are not the only symptoms of Celiac disease.  Some other symptoms also include unexplained iron deficiency, fatigue, bone or joint pain, migraines, depression and an itchy skin rash.

3.  More people have Celiac disease than Crohns, Colitis, and Cystic Fibrosis combined.
One in 100 worldwide, or 3 million Americans have Celiac disease.

4.  Celiac disease is hereditary.  People with a first degree relative with Celiac (parent, child, sibling) have a 1 in 10 risk of developing the disease.

5. If  left untreated, Celiac disease can lead to additional health problems.  Since it is an auto immune disease, if untreated it  can lead to or increase the risk of other auto immune diseases.  Here are some to name a few, Crohns, Addisons, Thyroid, Colitis, Psoriasis, Gluten Ataxia, Autoimmune Hepatitis.

6.  Many people with Celiac report having brain fog.  Brain fog is a form of cognitive impairment that can encompass disorientation, problems with staying focused. 

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