Celiac Disease: Signs And Effects Of Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is becoming a more common autoimmune condition. According to “Oral Diseases,” celiac disease is the most common genetically induced food intolerance. (Rivera 2013). People who have celiac disease cannot properly digest gluten; therefore it damages the small intestine. This disease does not occur at a specific age. It can happen at any time and is accompanied by many signs and symptoms. Looking at chart 1 below, celiac disease can happen anywhere from 2 years old to over 20 years old. There is no actual way to predict when someone could develop celiac disease. However, it appears that a higher percentage of people develop celiac disease when they are of 20 years of age and older. After looking at chart 2, it can be concluded

Gluten free diets often put a burden on people because these foods are more expensive and harder to find. Almost all foods contain flour. People with this disease can only consume gluten free flour. Wheat contains fiber. A major concern for people who eliminate wheat from their diets is that they will not consume the recommended fiber intake. However, “If wheat calories are replaced with those from vegetables and raw nuts, fiber intake goes up” (Davis, pg. 195). Therefore, fiber consumption is not a huge risk factor when eliminating wheat from the diet if consumption of healthy foods is increased. Gluten free foods can be found at grocery stores and organic food places. However, they tend to be more expensive than foods that contain gluten. Celiac cannot be cured. However, it can be treated with a lifelong gluten free diet. Gluten free diets contain more fruits, vegetables, and meats. Not all gluten free foods are available at a grocery store, therefore consumers need to purchase these items at a specialty store or online. In a study that was done, the results showed that “New York offered the largest variety of gluten free products” (Lee, pg. 427). Gluten free products tend to be more expensive, but the price of the product depends on where it is purchased. Studies have shown that “Health food stores were more expensive than general grocery stores” (Lee, pg.

The symptoms vary from abdominal pain to weight loss. Therefore, many cases of this disease are undiagnosed because the symptoms are the same as those of the flu. It is important to diagnose celiac disease early to prevent future damages to the intestines and further health complications. However, most cases are diagnosed at 20 years of age and older. Most diagnosed cases come from people of lower income because of the need to have access to the proper health care that people of higher income have access to. People who suffer from this disease are required to obtain a lifelong gluten free diet. This can be a burden for some people because gluten free foods tend to be more expensive and are more difficult to find. Restaurants and grocery stores need to provide a wider variety of gluten free products because the number of cases of this disease is increasing. Celiac Disease is a complex disease, and, therefore, it is important to know the signs and symptoms and have adequate information on this disease to protect the human body and its