The celiac disease symptoms you experience may be ones you might have never even thought to associatewith the condition.
It’s also possible to have celiac disease butnot have any symptoms at all.
Even symptoms in men and women may differ.
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Digestive Symptoms
Not everyone who’s diagnosed with celiac disease experiences digestive symptoms, but many do.
Still, these digestive symptoms can be subtle, and you might not necessarily associate them with celiac disease.
Frequently, the diarrhea is watery, smelly, and voluminous, and floats rather than sinks.
People with celiac disease often are diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome.
In addition, other types of digestive symptoms can appear.
For example,flatulenceandexcessive gasare common, as isabdominal bloating(many people describe themselves as looking pregnant).
It’s also common to haveabdominal pain, which can be severe at times.
In addition, not everyone loses weight as with undiagnosed celiac disease.
In fact, many people find they gain weight prior to diagnosis.
Some people report being absolutely unable to shed excess pounds, no matter how much they diet and exercise.
At the same time,insomniaand other sleep disordersare very common in people with celiac disease.
You’re exhausted during the day, but then can’t fall asleep or stay asleep at night.
In addition, many people with celiac disease get"brain fog"due to gluten.
When you have brain fog, you have trouble thinking clearly.
In small children with celiac disease, sometimes irritability is the only symptom.
Restless legs syndromehas also been reported as a common symptom of celiac disease.
Skin Disorders
You might see signs of celiac disease in your largest organ: your skin.
Up to one-fourth of people with celiac suffer fromdermatitis herpetiformis(a.k.a.
“the gluten rash”), an intensely itchy skin rash.
If you have dermatitis herpetiformis plus positiveceliac blood tests, you have celiac diseaseno further testing required.
In some cases, the gluten-free diet can alleviate pain from these conditions.
Dental Issues
People with celiac disease often have terrible teeth and problematic gums.
Once they start, they can take up to a week to subside.
It’s also not unusual to identify celiac disease in a person who hasperiodontal diseaseor badly receding gums.
In some cases, the gluten-free diet can help to reverse some of the damage that’s been done.
It is now rare that children present with severe symptoms.
In very unusual adult cases, the first obvious sign that a patient has unrecognized celiac is non-Hodgkin lymphoma.
Complications/Sub-Group Indications
People with celiac disease are at risk of developingmalnutrition.
You are unable to absorb enough nutrients due to the damage to your digestive tract.
This can result in anemia and weight loss.
Adults with longstanding undiagnosed celiac diseaseoften are quite short.
Osteoporosis, in which your bones become thin and weak, frequently appears in concert with celiac disease.
When you have celiac you could’t absorb the nutrients needed to keep your bones strong.
Women with celiac are significantly more likely than other women to experience pregnancy problems and repeated miscarriages.
Celiac disease has differing effects on cancer risk.
It’s not clear whether people with celiac disease have an increased risk forcolon cancer.
You should see your healthcare provider before you try a gluten-free diet as that can change the test results.
Celiac disease can masquerade as many, many other conditions.
A Word From Verywell
Celiac disease is a lifelong condition.
To avert long-term complications, you must follow a strictgluten-free diet.
You may even notice many minor health complaints disappearing once you’re diagnosed and on a gluten-free diet.
Certain symptoms of celiac disease can occur very quickly after eating gluten.
Doing so will not repair the damage already done but it will prevent flare-ups of symptoms.
Many people with celiac disease say they start feeling better within days of cutting gluten from their diet.
The same is true for non-celiac wheat sensitivity (NCWS), which is anallergy to wheat.
Silent celiac disease is an informal term for asymptomatic celiac disease.
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