Symptoms of Celiac Disease Research Papers
Research papers that focus on the symptoms of Celiac Disease are custom written by medical health writers that understand the etiology and symptomology of celiac disease.
The symptomology associated with celiac disease is notoriously divergent, since the condition can have its onset at any point within the human life span. Even when the condition is present, the patient may not be experiencing any tangible signs or symptoms, so diagnosis is often difficult. Additionally, patients with celiac disease do not all present with similar symptoms, further complicating correct diagnosis and timely treatment. The most commonly reported symptom among adult and children with celiac disease is general irritability and unease. Other symptoms range widely, but can include one or more of the following:
- Unexplained weight loss
- Recurring diarrhea
- Recurring steatorrhea
- Pale, malodorous stool
- Changes in behavior
- Pain in joints and bones
- Excessive flatulence
- Amenorrhea
- Muscle cramps
- Small stature or delays in growth
- Generalized fatigue and malaise
- Seizure activity including numbness, tingling, problems with teeth, gums, and oral mucosa, and rashes on skin
Celiac Disease - A hidden Disease
As previously mentioned, lack of consistent symptomology renders successful and timely diagnosis of celiac disease a challenge for health care practitioners. However, in light of the serious potential complications that can occur as a result of untreated celiac disease, it is important that physicians and other health care workers remain educated and abreast in developments in diagnosis.
Although gluten intolerance is often likened to food allergies, this comparison belittles the serious complications associated with untreated celiac disease. Without proper treatment, celiac disease is fatal, and even in cases with delayed diagnosis, serious damage has often occurred, to the extent that the patient’s normal functioning has been significantly impaired.
Complications of Celiac Disease
As previously stated, the most severe complications associated with celiac disease are related to lack of proper absorption of nutritional ingredients and the damage to the mucosa of the small intestine. However, the results of these problems can have a variety of outcomes. Osteoporosis is an example of the type of complication of celiac disease that is related to improper absorption of nutrients, in this case, calcium. Because patients with celiac disease cannot properly absorb calcium, despite the level of their calcium intake, they tend to develop osteoporosis and the symptoms associated with that condition, such as brittle, fragile bones, and decreased bone density.