Celiac Disease Essay

Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder, meaning the body attacks itself rather than attacking a foreign substance. It mainly affects the small intestine.
Signs and Symptoms of Celiac Disease
This disease affects differently to people. Celiac disease has more than 300 signs and symptoms; however, people with no signs and symptoms are still at risk from some complications. Some people with celiac disease shows no symptoms at all because the undamaged part of their small intestine absorbs enough nutrients to prevent the signs to show.
What are the signs and symptoms of Celiac Disease?
1. Recurring abdominal pain or bloating
2. Chronic diarrhea or constipation
3. Vomiting
4. Liver and biliary tract disorders such as cholangitis,
fatty liver and more
5. Weight loss
6. Pale and foul-smelling stool
7. Iron deficiency
8. Fatigue
9. Delayed puberty
10. Pain in the joints
11. Tingling numbness in the legs
12. Dermatitis Herpetiformis
13. Tooth discoloration
14. Unexplained infertility and miscarriages
15. Osteoporosis
16. Peripheral neuropathy
17. Anxiety or depression
18.
Pale sores inside the mouth
These symptoms tend to appear in children and adults. Symptoms such as growth problems, recurring abdominal pain or bloating, irritability, chronic diarrhea or constipation and fatigue is common to children. Iron deficiency is the most common symptoms in adults with celiac disease.
Diagnosis of Celiac Disease
Biopsy is done if the antibody test and symptoms is positive with celiac disease. The physician will take a sample of a tissue from the upper small intestine of the patient by endoscopy. Endoscopy is a process where a tiny tube is inserted through the patients’ mouth and stomach into the small intestine.
What is an endoscopic biopsy?
Endoscopic biopsy is the standard way to diagnose celiac disease. This procedure will last for about 30 minutes to be conducted by a gastroenterologist. A tiny tube with a small camera on the end is inserted through the mouth of the patient down to its throat and into the esophagus until it reaches the stomach and into the small intestine. The physician will examine the entire duodenum (opening of the small intestine), however most of the time it will appear normal, so it is important to collect a tissue to be examined under a microscope.
Why do I need a
biopsy?
Biopsy is important to patients with celiac disease to be accurate in diagnosis. To be more accurate the physician will biopsy 5-6 areas in the small intestine, because it is possible to miss if only one or two sample are taken. Celiac disease is a microscopic, in most cases it is not possible to confirm and diagnose of celiac disease just by looking at the walls of the intestine.
Do children undergo biopsy?
Yes, they should undergo with the procedure. There are important facts to consider if doing a biopsy with children. First, during the 10-15 minutes of the procedure an anesthesiologist is closely monitoring. Second, child that is diagnosed before the age of four reduce the risk of developing additional autoimmune disorders. Third, in order to make a biopsy to children, the child may have to eat gluten for many weeks.