Why Does Celiac Disease Damage the Small Intestines?

Why does celiac disease damage the small intestines? Celiac disease affects the small intestine through the destruction of villi, the small protrusions that use short hair-like fibers on the ends of them to absorb all of the nutrients from the food we eat.

Celiac disease is a genetic disorder where the body reacts poorly to glutens. This causes an increased destruction of villi. The reduced number of villi results in malabsorption of nutrients, meaning that celiac disease does not allow the body to absorb nutrients in the correct manner.

Celiac disease also creates an immune deficiency related to gluten. As a result of the body’s reaction to the gluten, when a person with celiac disease goes an extended period of time without the disease being diagnosed, he or she can become malnourished to the point that he may need to be nourished intravenously until he is strong enough to eat on his own strength.

Other Celiac Disease Damage to the Body

Now that you know why does celiac disease damage the small intestines, it is also important to understand what celiac disease does to the body. Malnourishment is not the only symptom of celiac disease. Because of the effect of the disease on the small intestine, the human body can be put under great stress from the extenuating symptoms that come with the disease.

The stresses caused by the disease can cause severe problems for children that require medical attention on their own:

• Infants who are malnourished because of celiac disease often experience stunted growth
• The puberty process can be delayed
• The enamel of the teeth can be affected

These most harmful effects generally occur in infants and children until the disease is diagnosed. The disease is harder to diagnose in kids because children can’t communicate their pains and symptoms as well as adults.

Adults also can develop celiac disease, though this is a bit more uncommon and usually happens after an event such as childbirth, a surgery, or even a severe emotional trauma.

In adults, celiac disease can cause:

• Anemia due to iron deficiency
• Osteoporosis
• Arthritis
• Constant fatigue
• Dermatitis herpetiformis, a chronic rash that affects the outer layers of the skin

Diagnosing the Problem

The reason celiac disease can be so dangerous is because it isn’t all that easy to diagnose. With its varied symptoms it’s often confused with anemia, irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, or many other intestinal infections. Because of this, doctors can end up treating the symptoms for long periods of time before they discover the cause of them.

For this reason, and many others, it’s imperative that patients be tested and be as forthcoming as they can be with any information about their symptoms they have, no matter how embarrassing they may seem.