What Is Celiac Disease?

Celiac Disease, also known as Celiac Sprue, is a lifelong autoimmune disorder that damages the small intestine. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder meaning that the immune system attacks the body. Therefore Celiac Disease is NOT a food allergy. In individuals with Celiac Disease, villi (small fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine) are damaged when gluten is ingested. Villi are responsible for nutrient absorption therefore individuals with Celiac Disease often become malnourished. There is no cure for Celiac Disease at this time and the only medical treatment for Celiac Disease is lifelong adherence to a gluten free diet.

In addition to being an autoimmune disease, Celiac Disease is a genetic disease meaning that it runs in families. According to National Digestive Diseases Information Clearing House, those who have a first degree relative (parent, sibling, child) with Celiac Disease have a 1 in 22 change of having the disease. This means that it is extremely important to be tested for Celiac Disease if someone in your family has tested positive for the disease. Even if it is not a first degree relative, you should be tested just to be certain.


It has been estimated that 1 in 133 Americans, or 1% of the population, have Celiac Disease. Unfortunately as many as 95% of those Americans have not been diagnosed and are unaware that they have Celiac Disease. And it has been estimated that the average time to properly diagnose Celiac Disease is 6-10 years in the United States! Why? Because there are hundred of symptoms of Celiac Disease and the symptoms vary from person to person, making it difficult for physicians to properly diagnose Celiac Disease. The most common symptoms of Celiac Disease include:

• Abdominal Bloating & Pain
• Vomiting
• Chronic Diarrhea
• Weight Loss
• Constipation
• Gas
• Fatty stool
• Fatigue
• Infertility or Miscarriage


If you or someone you know are experiencing one or all of these symptoms, you should be tested for Celiac Disease. To diagnose Celiac Disease, a simple blood test is ordered to test anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTGA) or anti-endomysium antiobodies (EMA). In order for the blood tests to be accurate, individuals need to be eating gluten containing foods. If the blood tests come back with high tTGA or EMA levels, then a small intestine biopsy using an endoscope is ordered to confirm diagnosis.

Important Things to Remember About Celiac Disease:

• Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder, not a food allergy
• Celiac Disease is a genetic disorder so everyone in the family should be tested
• 1 in 133 Americans have Celiac Disease, and 95% may not know that they have the disease
• There are hundreds of symptoms of Celiac Disease
• A simple blood test is all that it takes to know if you have Celiac Disease

Source: National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse