MedicineNet.com

About Us | Privacy Policy | Site Map
February 9, 2012

Celiac Disease: Gluten Free Diet (cont.)

Author:
Medical Editor:

What are the symptoms of celiac disease?

The symptoms of Celiac disease include:

  • Gas

  • Recurring stomach pain and bloating

  • Diarrhea

  • Constipation

  • Weight loss/weight gain

  • Fatigue

  • Change in mood

  • Pale, foul-smelling, or fatty stools

  • Bone or joint pain

  • Unexplained anemia

  • Very itchy skin rash with blisters called dermatitis herpetiformis

  • Muscle cramps

  • Tingling numbness in the legs

  • Pale sores in the mouth, called aphthous ulcers

  • Osteoporosis

  • Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel

  • Failure to thrive in infants

  • Delayed growth

What are the dietary restrictions for celiac disease (gluten)?

Omitting gluten from the diet is the key to controlling celiac disease. In patients with celiac disease, strict dietary gluten elimination will heal the small intestine over time (weeks to months). It is imperative that your diet remains gluten-free. Any gluten in your diet will cause the damage to your intestine to reoccur. Learning to follow a gluten-free diet can be very daunting, but with time you will see that there are many options available.



MedicineNet Doctors

Suggested Reading on Gluten Free Diet (Celiac Disease) by Our Doctors

  • Related Diseases & Conditions

    • Muscle Cramps
      • Muscle cramps are involuntarily and forcibly contracted muscles that do not relax. Extremely common, any muscles that have voluntary control, including some organs, are subject to cramp. Since there is such variety in the types of muscle cramps that can occur, many causes and preventative medications are known. Stretching is the most common way to stop or prevent most muscle cramps.
    • Diarrhea
      • Diarrhea is a change is the frequency and looseness of bowel movements. Cramping, abdominal pain, and the sensation of rectal urgency are all symptoms of diarrhea. Absorbents and anti-motility medications are used to treat diarrhea.
    • Intestinal Gas
      • Gas or "intestinal gas" means different things to different people. Everyone has gas and eliminates it by belching or farting (passing it through the rectum).
    • Constipation
      • Constipation is defined medically as fewer than three stools per week and severe constipation as less than one stool per week. Constipation usually is caused by the slow movement of stool through the colon. There are many causes of constipation including medications, poor bowel habits, low fiber diets, abuse of laxatives, hormonal disorders, and diseases primarily of other parts of the body that also affect the colon.
    • Anemia
      • Anemia is the condition of having less than the normal number of red blood cells or less than the normal quantity of hemoglobin in the blood. The oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood is, therefore, decreased.
    • Celiac Disease
      • Celiac disease is a result of an immune reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat or related grains and present in many foods that we eat. Celiac disease causes impaired absorption and digestion of nutrients through the small intestine. Signs and symptoms of celiac disease include malabsorbption (diarrhea, foul smelling gas, bloating, and increased amounts of fat in the stool) and malnutrition (weight loss, edema, anemia, bruising easily, neuropathy, and infertility). Treatment for celiac disease is a gluten free diet, and at times if necessary, medications
    • Osteoporosis
      • Learn about osteoporosis, a condition characterized by the loss of bone density, which leads to an increased risk of bone fracture. Unless one experiences a fracture, a person may have osteoporosis for decades without knowing it. Treatment for osteoporosis may involve medications that stop bone loss and increase bone strength and bone formation, as well as quitting smoking, regular exercise, cutting back on alcohol intake, and eating a calcium- and vitamin D-rich balanced diet.
    • Obesity
      • Obesity is the state of being well above one's normal weight. A person has traditionally been considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight. That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and build.
    • Prevention
      • Enjoying a healthy diet helps to prevent diseases. A good diet also helps to control celiac disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure and maintain health by preventing loss of bone mass, muscle strength, and vitamin deficiencies.
  • Medications

  • Procedures & Tests

  • Pictures, Images & Illustrations

  • Doctor's & Expert's Views

  • Health News

  • Health Features

Women's Health

Find out what women really need.



Symptom Checker: Your Guide to Symptoms & Signs: Pinpoint Your Pain







WebMD Food &
Fitness Planner

Diet and exercise just
got a lot easier.
Introducing the new
way to meet your healthy living goals.



Use Pill Finder Find it Now

Pill Identifier on RxList

  • quick,
    easy,
    pill identification

Find a Local Pharmacy

  • including
    24 hour
    pharmacies