Wide variety of symptoms of Celiac Disease
(No Ratings Yet)Celiac Disease continues to be under-diagnosed in the United States. Part of the problem may have to do with the large variety of symptoms that patients present. The popular press usually states that diarrhea is a predominant among celiac patients, & yet it turns out that constipation in widely present in the celiac population. JAAPA (The Journal of American Academy of Physician Assistants) has published a report of common signs & symptoms of Celiac.
They have also detailed the symptoms of a couple of patients, & how the testing led to a diagnosis of celiac. You can read the full report here.
Some of their interesting findings are below:
■ Instead of having diarrhea, many patients with celiac disease may be asymptomatic or report atypical GI complaints such as constipation, abdominal pain, or lactose intolerance.
■ A substantial number of patients with celiac disease initially receive a diagnosis of irritable bowel syndrome.
■ Most patients with celiac disease never receive a diagnosis.
■ Complications associated with celiac disease include iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, and a modest increase in the risk of GI cancers and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
■ All diagnostic testing should be performed while the patient remains on a gluten-containing diet.
■ Treatment for celiac disease can alleviate symptoms, reverse nutritional deficiencies, improve bone mineral density, and minimize the risk of associated malignancy.
