Celiac Disease
Frequently Asked Questions
None Available At This Time
Description
Celiac disease is a digestive disease that interferes with the absorption of nutrients, and causes damage to the small intestine. People with Celiac Disease cannot tolerate gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, and which also may be found in products such as medicines, vitamins, and lip balms.
When people with celiac disease eat foods or use products containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging or destroying villi. Villi are tiny, finger-like protrusions in the small intestine that normally allow nutrients to be absorbed through the small intestine into the bloodstream. People without healthy villi will become malnourished, no matter how much food they eat.
Celiac disease usually runs in the family, but it can also be triggered by events such as surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, or severe emotional stress.
(Image used by permission of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, National Institutes of Health.)
Sources of Additional Information
- The American College of Gastroenterology
- Celiac Disease
- (An overview of the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of celiac disease.)
- American Gastroenterological Association
- Understanding Celiac Disease
- (An overview of the symptoms, diagnosis, treatments, and complications of celiac disease.)
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse
- Celiac Disease
- (An overview of the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of celiac disease.)
Free Pamphlet From NDDIC: Celiac Disease
