Hey there, viewers!
What do you know about celiac disease?
At least 3 million Americans are currently living with it.
Out of those cases, 97% are undiagnosed.
Celiac disease can cause so many problems for your overall health.
In today’s video, we’re covering everything you need to know about it.
What causes it?
What are the symptoms?
Do you lose weight?
Can it be fatal?
How can it be treated?
We’re talking all that AND more…
SO WHAT IS CELIAC DISEASE?
Well first we need to talk about gluten...
We’ve all heard of it, but what exactly is its purpose?
Gluten is a type of protein found in wheat, barley and rye.
With celiac disease, you can’t process gluten the same way others do.
As a result, their immune system responds with inflammation.
This ends up damaging the small intestine.
There are so many symptoms of celiac disease we need to talk about.
Is there a food that gives your body a reaction?
Sound off in the comment section and start a conversation with our Bestie community...
SO WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
There are actually quite a few you can look out for.
Bloating Have you ever felt like your stomach was about
to burst?
Sometimes it gets so intense, you’re unable to do work.
With celiac disease, the bloating comes from inflammation of the digestive tract.
This leads to other digestive issues.
It turns out that bloating is one of the most common symptoms of celiac disease.
So if you’re experiencing pain and discomfort in your midsection that just won’t go away,
this disease is something you really need to consider.
A study found that 73% of people with celiac disease report bloating before they’re even
diagnosed.
Gas
Are you getting gas all the time?
Are people not wanting to be around you?
I don’t mean to get gross, but if your body is rejecting gluten, you’re probably going
to fart like crazy.
About 10% of patients with celiac disease report having gas on a regular basis.
With that being said, there are countless reasons why a person gets gas.
If you find yourself having this problem every day, talk to a doctor ASAP.
Fatigue
Celiac disease causes you to feel tired.
You’re not going to have the energy to do anything.
This is because of the damage done to your small intestine.
Your body is not processing vitamins and minerals the way it usually does.
As a result, you’re getting the energy sucked out of you.
Studies have shown that people with celiac disease are also likely to develop sleeping
disorders.
This will only make your fatigue worse.
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Constipation
First gas.
Then fatigue.
Now trouble going to the bathroom?
Eating gluten sounds like a real drag.
Well it is if your body can’t take it.
Like I said, celiac disease keeps your small intestine from absorbing nutrients.
Instead, it will absorb moisture from your stool.
This makes it so much harder to go to the bathroom.
Diarrhea
Yes, constipation is common, but so is diarrhea.
It’s usually one of the first symptoms a patient experiences.
In one study from a while back, close to 80% of patients had diarrhea prior to their treatment.
So how do you experience both constipation AND diarrhea?
Diarrhea happens due to damage of the intestinal lining.
This keeps your stool from passing at a regular pace.
Whether it’s constipation or diarrhea, I think it’s safe to assume celiac disease
makes your trips to the bathroom a lot less comfortable.
Depression
Constant fatigue is not the only mental state you need to worry about.
Celiac disease can also make you really depressed.
Studies have found that adults with celiac disease are much more likely to suffer from
depression than the general population.
The problem is that like many of our symptoms, there’s more than one cause.
Celiac disease isn’t even in the top five reasons behind your depression.
If you’re always feeling down, try talking to a professional.
Weight Loss
If your body’s not responding well to gluten, you’re probably going to lose weight.
It’s one of the most common experiences.
Once again, this is because you’re unable to absorb the right nutrients.
As a result, you become malnourished and can’t maintain your proper weight.
This is especially true for older patients.
If your weight loss is accompanied by some of these other symptoms, talk to a doctor
right away.
Anemia
This is when your body doesn’t have the right amount of red blood cells to carry oxygen
to your tissues.
It can worsen any feelings of fatigue you have.
With celiac disease, your anemia will be brought on by the lack of iron in your blood.
When you have anemia, you’ll also feel things like chest pain, headaches and dizziness.
One study found that about 10% of anemia patients had celiac disease to blame for their condition.
When a person has anemia, the damage to the small intestine can be really severe.
It can also lower your bone mass.
Rash
This is perhaps the only symptom visible to other people.
Celiac disease can cause a red, blistering skin rash.
Almost 20% of people with celiac disease get this rash.
While any rash is enough to scare you, there’s an upside.
Due to its visibility on your skin, doctors will be able to diagnose you much quicker.
Weirdly enough, some patients get this skin rash without any of the other symptoms that
occur.
Fewer than 10% of patients who get the rash experience the digestive symptoms.
Before we continue, are you feeling pain in your kidney area?
Does it hurt when you go to the bathroom?
Check out our recent video on the 9 Best Ways To Prevent Kidney Disease.
Now back to our discussion.
WHAT DOES CELIAC DISEASE LEAD TO?
The symptoms are just the first part.
If it goes untreated, celiac disease can get much worse down the road.
Like I said, many people suffer from the disease without even knowing they have it.
Well make sure you pay attention to the signs, because celiac disease can open the door to
other autoimmune disorders.
These include type-2 diabetes, and multiple sclerosis.
Over time, celiac disease can also stop your organs from functioning.
These organs include your pancreas and your gallbladder.
The disease will also affect your nervous system.
One of the scariest long-term effects of celiac disease is its impact on your gastrointestinal
tract.
Since your intestines are suffering and not getting the proper nutrients, cancer could
develop.
For couples looking to have a child, celiac disease can be a heartbreaker.
Research shows that the illness can cause infertility.
Celiac disease may also contribute to brain disorders like dementia.
A person with the disease may also see an increase in seizures.
Needless to say at this point, celiac disease can really do a number on your body.
SO HOW DO YOU TREAT IT?
Well the problem is that you can’t.
Celiac disease has no cure.
But this doesn’t mean that you’re forever sentenced to a life of pain.
There are ways to manage it.
It’s pretty obvious…
Drop the gluten.
A gluten free diet is the best way to manage celiac disease.
So many of the symptoms we just listed can be treated by avoiding certain foods.
These include gluten-heavy products like pasta, beer, sauce, cakes, pies, crackers, cookies,
and oh yeah… bread!
You’re not going to be able to enjoy a sandwich the same way again.
That is if you don’t want a celiac flare-up.
The foods you’re suggested to stock up on are things like eggs, meat, nuts, legumes
and spices.
You’re also recommended veggies.
Now I know what you’re thinking…
I’m never going to be able to eat my favorite treats again!
Well there are many gluten-free versions you can have.
You just have to get used to them.
If you’re bummed out, just think about all the benefits.
Believe it or not, a lot of the symptoms we talked about earlier will go away.
For one, gluten free diets will improve bloating.
Patients see an improvement pretty quickly.
Studies have shown that a steady gluten-free diet will fix weight loss issues.
People who have reduced their gluten have also seen an increase in iron.
This helps to get rid of your anemia.
A gluten-free diet will also assist your mental health.
Studies have shown that avoiding gluten will reduce your depressive symptoms.
Celiac disease is no joke.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop here.
There are so many other medical conditions you need to learn about.
Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple more disease-related videos, shall
we?
Check out 6 Common Digestive Disorders You Need To Know About.
Or how about 13 Foods That Can Help Heal Your Thyroid?
Go ahead, pick one.
Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to manage your health problems.
Do you suffer from celiac disease?
Let us know in the comments below!