What is celiac disease?

It is an intolerance to gluten, causing various disorders and is avoiding foods that contain protein.

It is known that one in every 350 to 500 people suffers from celiac disease, a chronic digestive disorder that involves an intolerance to gluten permanent.
But specialists estimate that only 25 percent of patients are diagnosed and that 75 percent had neither treatment nor even know what's wrong.

Injury in the gut
Gluten is a protein that forms part of the meal some of the most consumed in food grains: wheat, barley, rye and oats.

When there is intolerance, there is a severe injury in the upper small intestine (villous atrophy), which leads to poor absorption of nutrients from food.

The victim usually show symptoms such as stunting, weight loss, behavioural disorders, iron deficiency anaemia or inappetence. The intolerance to gluten can be filed at any time of life. But the typical symptoms are manifested mainly in childhood and in the decade of the forties.

"In other ages symptoms may not be clear," explains gastroenterologist Isabel Polanco, who adds that "the patient celíaco lies not only in consultation gastroenterology, but also in the psychiatrist or gynecologist." "Today," says the expert, has been that there are other symptoms such as depression, male or female infertility, spontaneous abortions repeated ...".

The disease appears in people with genetic predisposition, so it is advisable that when a member of the family says, all others are seen by a specialist.

For now, patients suspected of celiac disease must undergo three intestinal biopsies. By this test is possible to verify whether there was injury to the intestinal mucosa. According to Dr. Polanco, this technique is "easier and more aggressive."

Gluten-free diet
The treatment is to eliminate from the diet all those dishes that contain gluten. Something seemingly simple but in practice presents enormous difficulties because gluten is not only present in the bread and all foods made with wheat flour, oats, barley or rye, but can also be part of products such as sausages, sweets, sauces and even medicines.

Once the patient follows the proper diet, can make normal life. But you should never get carried away by the temptation to eat some cookies, some spaghetti or a normal cake.
The experts insist that any violation of the regime can be very dangerous. The untreated celiac are more predisposed to develop various tumors.