Nearly one in 133 Americans suffers from celiac disease, a genetic disorder in which the immune system attacks your small intestine when you eat gluten.
Not only does this cause problems with digestion (gas, bloating, diarrhea and constipation), it disrupts nutrient absorption, which frequently leads to a variety of other conditions, such as rashes, arthritis and depression.
Celiac disease can occur at any age; untreated, it quadruples the risk for early death. The condition is becoming more common: Research by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, says celiac disease is four and a half times more common today than it was 50 years ago. The vast majority of people with celiac disease don’t realize they have it. That’s either because symptoms are not severe enough for people to raise with doctors or because doctors have just failed to connect the nebulous symptoms with the disease. If you have reason to be concerned, ask your doctor about the Celiac Panel of blood tests, and, if necessary, intestinal biopsy and genetic testing.
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