The Break Down

🌾 What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. That means the body’s immune system attacks itself when triggered by something—in this case, gluten.

🧬 What is Gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in:

  • Wheat

  • Barley

  • Rye

  • (And anything made with them—like bread, pasta, cake, cereal, etc.)

💥 What Happens in Celiac Disease?

When someone with celiac disease eats even a tiny bit of gluten, their immune system reacts by damaging the small intestine, specifically:

  • The villi, which are tiny finger-like structures that absorb nutrients, get flattened and inflamed.

  • This makes it hard to absorb nutrients properly = malabsorption.

🧍‍♀️ Symptoms Can Include:

(not the same for everyone!)

  • Stomach pain, bloating, diarrhea or constipation

  • Fatigue or brain fog

  • Skin rashes (like dermatitis herpetiformis)

  • Anemia

  • Headaches

  • Joint pain

  • Delayed growth or weight loss (in kids)

🧪 How is it Diagnosed?

  1. Blood test (checks for gluten-related antibodies)

  2. Biopsy of the small intestine (done by a GI specialist)

⚠️ Important: You need to be eating gluten for the tests to be accurate.

🚫 Treatment?

There is no cure for celiac—but the treatment is simple:

👉 100% gluten-free diet for life

Even tiny crumbs can cause damage, even if symptoms don’t show up right away.

🧠 Fun Fact:

  • Celiac ≠ gluten sensitivity.

  • Gluten sensitivity isn’t autoimmune and doesn’t damage the intestine, but still causes discomfort.