Celiac's Disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Celiac's Disease - Essay Example "The incidence of auto immune disorders in the general US population is 3.5 % (The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center 2)." As per some well informed estimates, nearly 3 million Americans suffer from celiac disease. An average healthy person in the US has roughly 1 in 133 chances of being affected by this disorder. Persons having a first-degree or second-degree relative suffering from celiac disease do often have a more then average probability of being affected by this disease. Most of the patients suffering from celiac disease develop related complications owing to a delayed diagnosis. Thus an early diagnosis of celiac disease is very important as this may significantly reduce the risk of developing further complications (The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center 2). Though the etiology of celiac disease has not conclusively been established till date, environmental, immunologic and genetic factors have been found to be significant contributors to the disease. The most prominent environmental factor is the association of this disease with gluten. Not only does gluten restriction plays a central role in the treatment of this disease, but the insertion of gluten in the normal appearing rectum and distal ileum of the affected patients results in discernable morphologic changes (Kasper, et al. 1771). An immunologic component to this disease is strongly suspected because of the presence of "serum antibodies- IgA antigliadin, IgA antiendomysial and IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTg) (Kasper et al. 1771)" in the affected patients. Also the patients treated with prednisolone have been found to respond favorably. A genetic factor is certainly associated with this order, since the Caucasians have been found to have a higher prevalence of celiac diseas e as compared to blacks and Asians (Kasper et al. 1771).Though the symptoms of celiac disease may vary from patient to patient, the common symptoms may involve: bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea, constipation, discolored teeth or loss of enamel, joint pain, significant unexplained weight loss, delayed growth, fractures or thin bones, bulky or loose stools, fatigue, tingling or numbness in the limbs, canker sores, irritability or behavior changes, poor weight gain and missed menstrual periods (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness). Illnesses like: Anemia, depression, Type I diabetes, Sjogren's syndrome, dermatitis herpetiformis, infertility, IBS, peripheral neuropathy, Turner Syndrome, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, intestinal cancer, Down syndrome, Williams syndrome, may also be linked to celiac disease (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness).The most credible way of diagnosing celiac sprue is a small intestine biopsy. A biopsy should unexceptionally be performed on the patients exhibiting distinct symptoms of celiac disease, like nutrient deficiency and malabsorption (Kasper et al. 1772). Many a times the patients suffering from celiac disease fail to exhibit any distinct or conspicuous symptoms of this malady. In the recent years, the incidence of asymptomatic cases of celiac disease has been on the rise (Craig et al 1). Thus it is imperative for a