Celiac disease - what is it? Symptoms, treatment

Celiac disease is a small intestine disease caused by protein intolerance (gluten). The clinical picture of this disease is most clearly seen in childhood, whereas in adults and adolescents, less pronounced symptoms are observed.

Celiac disease: what is it?

This is a hereditary disease, in which, against the background of genetic breakdowns, tolerance of the main component of cereal crops - gluten is disrupted. Outwardly, people with this pathology look absolutely healthy. If they only eat a piece of bread or another flour product, how the immune system begins to attack the cells of the intestine, destroying their structure. Such a pathological process leads to a violation of absorption of nutrients from the intestinal lumen, obtained as a result of the splitting of products. As a result, the body loses the existence of energy material, which directly affects its functioning.

Inflammation of the mucosa continues as much as a person consumes foods that have gluten in their composition. If one takes into account how widely wheat flour is used today, one can understand the danger of the disease. To start inflammation sometimes it is enough a few milligrams of this substance, that is, just a couple of bread crumbs.

Until recently, it was believed that celiac disease is an exclusively hereditary disease, so its symptoms should manifest itself in the first months of a child's life. It is for this reason that in adults and adolescents the occurrence of this ailment was extremely unlikely. However, recent studies have radically changed the approach to celiac disease. Symptoms in adults can manifest themselves during life under the influence of a number of unfavorable factors.

Main reasons

The causes of the development of this disease are still poorly understood. Specialists put forward several hypotheses to explain the origin of the pathological process.

• Genetic. In 97% of patients, there are certain markers indicating a change in the genetic material.
• Enzyme. It is assumed that the disease develops against the backdrop of a deficit of certain enzymes responsible for splitting gluten.
• The virus. In the protein there is a fragment with a certain sequence of amino acids identical to the E1B type of adenovirus.

Each of these theories has its own criticism. It is believed that in adults, celiac disease can occur on a background of stress, intestinal infections or surgical manipulation.

Clinical manifestation of the disease in children

A typical form of the disease has three characteristic symptoms: frequent stools, protruding belly and lag in growth / weight. Cal has a mushy consistency, smells bad, because of the presence of fat glitters. Insufficient weight gain usually worries parents after the introduction of complementary foods, when the child should grow and develop normally.

Physicians distinguish and other signs of celiac disease. In children, the symptoms of pathology are usually associated with a lack of nutrients entering the body and a deficiency in certain vitamins.

1. Fast fatiguability.
2. Frequent fractures of bones.
3. Poor condition of the skin and hair (dryness, peeling, atopic dermatitis).
4. Hypotension.
5. Incorrect posture.
6. Anemia.
7. Bleeding gums, stomatitis.

In each case, celiac disease in children is manifested in different ways. Symptoms listed above can appear both in a complex, and be of a single character. In the future, girls have problems with menstruation, and boys are diagnosed with sexual dysfunction.

Symptoms of celiac disease in adults

The clinical picture of the disease in adults is characterized by an atypical and latent form. The first option is manifested in 30-40 years. It represents one of the three signs of a typical form and two attendants. As a rule, extraintestinal symptoms predominate (migraine, atopic dermatitis, arthritis, nephropathy and others).

In clinical studies, 8% of women who have been treated for infertility for a long time have been diagnosed with celiac disease. Symptoms in adult women were almost not manifested, that is, they did not know about the existence of such a disease. After the appointment of dietary restrictions, they all managed to try on the role of the mother.

The latent form can not appear for a long time, only occasionally disturbing the patient with intestinal disorders. The disease is usually diagnosed with an accidental examination.

Possible complications

Patients diagnosed with celiac disease are at increased risk for developing bowel cancer. According to statistics, this form of malignant tumor originates in 8% of patients after the age of 50 years. Doctors suspect an oncology in the event that against the backdrop of the gluten-free diet the signs of an illness resumed.

Another possible complication is peptic ulcer. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the ileum wall . It is accompanied by fever and acute soreness in the abdomen. The lack of timely treatment threatens multiple bleeding, as well as perforation of the intestinal wall.

Infertility, impaired fertility is the result of malabsorption syndrome. Also, celiac disease can lead to protein deficiency, a violation of mineral metabolism. The lack of vitamin D contributes to a gradual decrease in bone density. In 30% of cases, the spleen decreases in patients, in 70% of patients doctors diagnose arterial hypotension.

Examination for the diagnosis of celiac disease

Determine the presence of the disease can be based on a characteristic clinical picture and test results. Today, there are many informative techniques that allow to detect this mysterious ailment.

Usually, patients are given genetic tests, serological tests for celiac disease. Also, a morphological evaluation of the biopsies of the upper sections of the small intestine taken during endoscopy is carried out.

Diagnostic examination is usually prescribed before the introduction of dietary restrictions. Serological tests in children under 5 years are not very informative, so a biopsy is taken for research instead of blood.

A year after the start of treatment, a re-examination is usually prescribed. It should show positive dynamics. A year later, they perform a second biopsy. By this time the villi of the intestine is almost completely restored.

Medication Therapy

All patients are recommended complex therapy for a disease such as celiac disease. What it is? It has several goals at once: restoration of normal intestinal function, correction of mineral deficiencies.

Pathogenetic therapy implies adherence to a special diet, which provides for the exclusion of a disease-provoking factor - gluten. This is not just a restriction in nutrition for a while. It must be followed for many years to finally overcome the disease of celiac disease. What this is for the diet, we will discuss later in this article.

In 85% of cases, such a measure leads to the disappearance of symptoms and normalization of the intestine. The final recovery after the disease is usually observed in 3-6 months after the start of the diet. If necessary, patients are prescribed saline solutions, folic acid and iron preparations, vitamin complexes.

If the change in the diet does not bring the desired results, the signs of celiac disease persist, the patient is prescribed hormonal drugs ("Prednisolone") as an anti-inflammatory treatment. The lack of dynamics in treatment against the background of the exclusion of gluten from food indicates that the diet is observed with some disorders, or there are accompanying pathologies (Addison's disease, giardiasis, lymphoma).

Gluten-free diet - the basis of celiac disease

Patients with this diagnosis should understand that now their health directly depends on discipline and patience. Treatment implies compliance with the so-called gluten-free diet for several years.

Celiac disease is an intolerance to gluten, therefore it is necessary to exclude from the diet all products containing this substance. These include cereals, cereals, pasta and pastries.

In addition, you should limit the consumption of hidden sources of gluten (semi-finished products, ready-made spices and sauces, frozen vegetable and fruit mixtures, canned food, alcoholic beverages). If you do not have the opportunity to eat at home, you need to carefully study the composition of dishes in the restaurant or cafe menu.

The diet should consist mainly of fresh fish / meat, vegetables, fruits and rice. In addition, today you can find on sale special gluten-free products, which are absolutely safe for people with celiac disease.

Prevention of disease

In the materials of this article, we told why celiac disease occurs, what it is. How can you prevent her from appearing?

Specific prevention measures doctors can not offer. To prevent the development of dangerous complications, experts recommend a gluten-free diet for several years. In the presence of hereditary diseases in close relatives, it is necessary to regularly undergo medical and genetic testing in order to clarify the possible development of celiac disease in future generations. Women in the situation with such a diagnosis fall into the risk group of the pathology of the cardiac system in the fetus. Conducting pregnancy in this case should be carried out under the constant supervision of a doctor.