Besides lupus, another autoimmune disease more common in women is celiac. This condition causes a person to pay attention to food and drink intake. Are you familiar with this disease? If not, let's learn more about celiac disease in this article.
Definition of Celiac Disease
Celiac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disease triggered by consuming gluten. If you have this disease, the body will attack itself and damage the digestive tract, so some nutrients cannot be absorbed properly (malabsorption). CD disease is more common in women, but they manage it better than men.
This disease, if not appropriately managed, can cause more extensive complications such as iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, liver dysfunction, neuropathy, psychological disorders, fatigue, myalgia, asthma, weight loss, bloating, abdominal pain, changes in the structure of the intestine, baldness, headaches, menstrual irregularities, infertility, to the detriment of pregnancy.
Symptoms
Gluten is a protein found in barley, wheat, and rye and in foods made from these ingredients, such as pasta, noodles, cakes, cereals, breads, sauces, and beer. If accidentally consumed while eating a food or drink, the body will react by showing several symptoms such as:
- Diarrhea
- Stomach ache
- Bloating
- Fart
- Indigestion
- Constipation
- Nausea and vomiting
Symptoms that occur in people with CD range from diarrhea, and abdominal pain, to constipation
In addition to these symptoms, there are more common signs such as fatigue, malnutrition, unintentional weight loss, itchy rash (dermatitis herpetiformis), infertility, and disorders affecting balance, coordination, and speech (ataxia). Typically, children with CD experience unwanted growth and may experience delayed puberty.
To reduce these symptoms, a CD sufferer must follow a gluten-free diet to prevent long-term complications from his condition. It's better to avoid foods that cause digestive problems, even if the symptoms are not too severe, because if you continue to consume them, they can worsen your health.
Causes and Risk Factors
It is not known what causes CD, but it is believed to occur due to a combination of genetics and environment. As already mentioned, celiac disease is an autoimmune condition in which the body will incorrectly recognize the opponent so that it attacks healthy tissue due to the consumption of gluten. Risk factors that make a person more susceptible to CD are:
- Family members with celiac disease or dermatitis herpetiformis
- Type 1 diabetes
- Down syndrome or Turner syndrome
- Autoimmune thyroid disease
- Microscopic colitis
- Addison's disease
The risk of getting a CD is higher for those who have family members with CDs as well
Nonresponsive Celiac Disease
Nonresponsive celiac disease generally occurs when a person eats food contaminated with gluten, even when it does not contain gluten. So, even though they have implemented a gluten-free diet, they may still experience digestive problems. Therefore, it is very important to know what food ingredients can and should be avoided for consumption.
This condition may occur in people who have intestinal bacterial overgrowth, microscopic colitis, pancreatic insufficiency, irritable bowel syndrome, difficulty digesting the sugar in dairy products (lactose), table sugar (sucrose), or the sugar in honey and fruit (fructose). ), or refractory celiac disease.
That is a further explanation regarding celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disease that attacks the digestive tract when consuming gluten. To reduce symptoms and prevent further complications, sufferers must implement a gluten-free diet daily. Curious about other women's health information? Let's check the Fitie website or download the app!
Let's find out more about celiac disease through this Fitie article.