Celiac disease

[Ernesto]

Celiac disease is a hereditary intolerance to gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye) that causes characteristic changes in the lining of the small intestine, resulting in malabsorption.

The intestinal lining becomes inflamed after a person ingests the protein gluten.
Symptoms in adults include diarrhea, undernutrition, and weight loss.
Symptoms in children include abdominal bloating, bulky, very foul-smelling stools, and failure to grow.
The diagnosis is based on typical symptoms and examination of a tissue specimen removed from the lining of the small intestine.
Most people do well if they maintain a gluten-free diet.

Celiac disease is a hereditary disorder that usually affects people of northern European heritage. Celiac disease may affect 1 out of 150 people in Europe, especially in Ireland and Italy, and perhaps 1 out of 250 people in some parts of the United States, yet it is extremely rare in Africa, Japan, and China. About 10 to 20% of close relatives of people with celiac disease are also affected. The disease affects about twice as many women as men.

[Sonia]

US spelling of coeliac disease