A celiac is someone who suffers from celiac disease.
The genetics of celiac
Celiac disease is considered an autoimmune condition . The celiac's defense system recognizes gluten as a threat to the body and produces antibodies against it. These defensive antibodies are what cause damage to the intestine and atrophy of its mucosa, which leads to problems absorbing nutrients.
Experts believe that people with celiac disease have a genetic predisposition to the disorder . Symptoms include delayed childhood growth, fatigue, chronic diarrhea, and skin rashes, although any of these symptoms may be absent, appear with a certain frequency, or be associated with another illness.
A celiac patient should not eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, oats, barley and rye.
gluten free diet
There is no way to cure celiac disease; the only possible treatment is to follow a gluten-free diet for life . Once the person receives the correct diagnosis and starts this diet, the damaged intestinal villi begin to regenerate.
Before starting a gluten-free diet, doctors recommend performing an intestinal biopsy to confirm gluten intolerance , which is observed through the alteration of the intestinal mucosa.
Although the life of a person with celiac disease is not exactly simple, those who suffer from this disease from a very young age do not have in their memory the flavors of foods that they should not try; This does not compensate them for the problems they must endure, but it surely alleviates their burden a little.
Celiac dermatitis
Dermatitis herpetiformis is an intensely itchy skin rash consisting of blisters and bumps . It is a chronic problem, which usually appears for the first time after the age of 20, although it also affects some children. This disorder occurs in men and women in equal proportion.
Regarding its causes, there is no specific documentation, although dermatitis herpetiformis is generally associated with celiac disease (the special sensitivity that the small intestine has to gluten).
Some of the most common symptoms of this disorder are the following:
- Blisters of different characteristics but all very itchy (causing intense itching). They usually appear mainly on the knees, buttocks, elbows and back.
- The shape and size of the rash is usually the same in all areas.
- If small injuries occur from scratching, these blisters leave permanent marks on the skin.
It is worth mentioning that these symptoms are usually intermittent , which makes the diagnosis of dermatitis herpetiformis difficult: a rash can disappear without a trace between the time we make an appointment for a medical consultation and the day we are examined by a specialist.
The treatment
For most cases there is an antibiotic that is very beneficial: dapsone. Likewise, doctors usually recommend a diet that excludes gluten, to have greater control over the disease; It is important to highlight that properly modifying your diet can prevent future disorders and avoid the need to consume medications.
Some doctors prescribe immunosuppressants to treat dermatitis herpetiformis, although their effects are not always sufficient. If this disease is not treated correctly, there is a significant risk of suffering from intestinal cancer. Diseases of the thyroid gland are also often associated with this disorder.