Indications You May Have Celiac Disease

Unexplained Weight Loss

Approximately forty-five percent of patients who have celiac disease experience weight loss with no apparent cause. The amount of weight loss tends to vary between patients due to the fact some individuals compensate for their malabsorption by increasing their dietary intake considerably. Unexplained weight loss is a symptom known to manifest in affected individuals before they reach mid-childhood. Children diagnosed with celiac disease tend to experience growth retardation and failure to thrive. This malfunction is reflected as a decrease in growth charts. Untreated celiac disease can cause a patient to have a delay in the onset of puberty due to poor weight gain. The main reason for weight loss in celiac disease is due to malabsorption of carbohydrates, resulting in a higher calorie burn-off rate than that of consumption. Indicators of unexplained weight loss include loose skin folds, loss of bone density, and muscle wasting.

Iron-Deficiency Anemia

Iron-deficiency anemia may be a symptom of celiac disease. Between ten and fifteen percent of all individuals who have celiac disease present with iron-deficiency anemia at least once throughout the course of their disease. It is estimated around three percent of all iron-deficiency anemia patients also have celiac disease. The mechanism behind this symptom involves the proximal small intestine's inability to absorb folate, iron, or both from the food consumed. In advanced cases of celiac disease with damage to the patient's ileum, an impairment in the absorption of vitamin B12 may also be present. When an individual becomes deficient in iron, folate, or vitamin B12, their body can not produce an adequate amount of healthy red blood cells (anemia). This can result in fatigue, weakness, glossitis, dizziness, shortness of breath, high heart rate, and lightheadedness. Anemia may also cause orthostatic hypotension, which is low blood pressure upon changing positions. Celiac disease patients have abnormal lab results consisting of low iron serum, low hemoglobin, and prolonged prothrombin time.