Dr. Gregg Wendorf explains what celiac disease is and what are the treatment options in a recent video presentation.
What Is Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is a digestive condition that causes an adverse immune response to eating gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and oats.
What Causes Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. An autoimmune disorder is a condition when your immune system attacks your body by mistake. A normally functioning immune system can sense harmful germs and sends antibodies to attack the problem. In people with celiac disease, the immune system attacks the intestine when gluten is in it. This causes inflammation and damage to the villi. Villi are threadlike projections in the small intestine that absorb nutrients. If damaged, the villi won’t absorb nutrients and the patient will become malnourished despite the amount of food they eat. The exact cause of celiac disease is not known. In some cases, celiac disease becomes active for the first time following pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection, surgery, or severe emotional stress.
Celiac Disease Treatment
Treatment for celiac disease involves removing all foods from gluten from your diet. Gluten is what triggers the reaction, resulting in damage to the small intestine. By removing gluten, the small intestine can heal and function normally. People with celiac disease must stay on a gluten-free diet for the rest of their lives. It may sound daunting, but many people adapt quite well over time. Medications are only used in rare cases when a gluten-free diet isn’t effective in treating celiac disease.
Watch Dr. Gregg Wendorf explain who is affect by Celiac Disease and the testing algorithm he uses here:
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