Causes of Celiac Disease | Celiac Disease Risks

Celiac Disease

Also known as celiac sprue or gluten sensitive enteropathy. This is a digestive and autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the lining of the small intestine when foods with gluten are eaten. About 1 in 100 people suffer from this condition.

Submitted by PatientsEngage on 24 November 2015

Normally, the body’s immune system is designed to protect it from foreign invaders. But when people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system forms antibodies to gluten, attacking the intestinal lining, causing inflammation in the intestine and damaging the villi (hair-like structures seen on the lining of the small intestine). If the villi are damaged, the person cannot absorb nutrients properly and ends up with malnourishment.

Are you at risk of developing celiac disease?

This depends on:

Genes: The risk of celiac disease may run in the family. If a close relative (parent or sibling) has it, there’s a 1 in 10 chance of developing celiac disease.
Infection: When a person has inherited this risk, an infection in the environment can trigger changes in the small intestine and cause celiac disease.
Autoimmune condition – Presence of autoimmune diseases such as type I diabetes, thyroid, rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, etc.
Chromosomal disorders such as Down syndrome, Turner’s syndrome, etc.
Gastrointestinal infections such as rotavirus in childhood or recurrent diarrhoea.
Early start of gluten in childhood diet.

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When Going Gluten Free Is a Necessity

When Jeeva Anna George was diagnosed with Celiac disease, an uncommon digestive disorder causing inflammation of the small intestine, her whole life began revolving around food. Here she talks at length about her personal journey and how she learnt the hard way to control the disease by strictly following a gluten free diet. At what age did you discover you had celiac disease? My symptoms started when I was 25 but I was diagnosed a month after turning 27. What were your initial symptoms? My…
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Is Gluten Always the Culprit?

Or is it sometimes the fall guy for other allergens? Dietitian Ujjwala Baxi tells you what to do if you think you are gluten-sensitive. First tip: Do not rush into a gluten-free diet plan. I first heard about gluten sensitivity during my college days when I was studying nutrition. During my year of internship in a 1,000-bed government hospital in India, I heard of only 3 gluten sensitive cases that were referred to the dietary department for a specific meal plan. This was 10 years back. Now, in…
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