coeliac disease - I grew up with it

Growing up I was always a sickly child and extremely underweight.... people accused me of be annorexic or belimic and some people thought we were poverty stricken and could not afford to eat because i was just that thin...

I got bullied at school by other kids (They would call me anna wich if you have not worked out is short for annorexic).... And I had trouble making friends and spent a lot of time hiding in the school library...... I also spent a lot of time going in and out of hospital...
By the time I was 18 I had a list of 21 different this wrong with my health at the time time ranging from UTIs to Brochitus to fibromyalgia to Q-fever even.... I was pretty miserable and had enough... I went to the doctors and said, "I want to know what wrong with my immune system, why I am under weight and why i am always sick... Enough is enough ".
That was the beginning of  a  healthier life for me because one of the many tests that i had came up positive for coeliac disease (which is confirmed by endoscopy).... A condition that is usually inherited and can be controlled by diet.... its 3 years on and i have yet to be admitted into the hospital with another illness unless you count giving birth... LOL

Now you know my story what is coeliac disease?
Coeliac (pronounced seel-ee-ak) Disease is a permanent intestinal intolerance to gluten... And is often an inherited condition...

The best way I find to describe how it affects you is to get you to imagine your small intestine is like velvet with furry little finger sticking..... this velvet like lining is what absorbs all those wonderful nutrients from your food, Nutrients that are vital to your health and development both mental and physical... However what happens to a coeliac when they eat gluten that intestinal lining is worn away making smooth and like glass and very little sometime none of the nutrients from your food can be absorbed.... And as you can imagine this can have devastating effects on your health...

What are the symptoms of coeliac disease?

These are the most common symptoms and can affect at any age: ( Taken from http://www.coeliac.org.au/symptoms-diagnosis-symptoms.htm )

• Fatigue, weakness and lethargy
• Anaemia - the anaemia will either not respond to treatment or will recur after treatment (iron therapy) until the correct diagnosis is made and a gluten free diet is begun
• Flatulence and abdominal distention
• Diarrhoea - this may begin at any age and is often present for years prior to diagnosis
• Constipation - some are likely to experience constipation rather than diarrhoea although a number of people do not experience either and some experience both
• Cramping and bloating
• Nausea and vomiting
• Weight loss - although many do not lose weight and some can even put on weight
• Poor immune system

 Less common in adults

• Easy bruising of the skin
• Ulcerations and/or swelling of mouth and tongue
• Miscarriages and infertility
• Low calcium levels with muscle spasms
• B12, A, D, E and K vitamin deficiency
• Skin rashes such as dermatitis herpetiformis
• Dental defects
• Altered mental alertness
• Bone and joint pains

 Common in children

Onset of symptoms can occur at any age after the introduction of gluten. 

• Abdominal distention, pain and flatulence
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhoea or constipation
• Large, bulky, foul stools
• Poor weight gain
• Weight loss in older children
• Delayed growth or delayed puberty
• Tiredness
• Anaemia
• Irritability
  
• problems interacting with other children
• delayed mental development (not very common)

Can coeliac disease be cured?

Unfortunately No but it can be managed with a strict Gluten Free diet... and any damage done to the intestinal lining can usually be reversedif the diet is strictly adhered to.....