| Celiac Disease : Gluten-free, Wheat-free, Gluten Intolerance and Dermatitis Herpetiformis
Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease are allergic to a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine. Specifically, tiny fingerlike protrusions, called villi, on the lining of the small intestine are lost.
Celiac disease affects people differently, some people develop symptoms at an early age, others as adults. One factor thought to play a role in when and how celiac appears is whether and how long a person was breastfed--the longer one was breastfed, the later symptoms of celiac disease appear, and the more a typical the symptoms.
The only treatment for celiac disease is to follow a gluten-free / wheat-free diet. For most people, following gluten-free diet will stop symptoms, heal existing intestinal damage, and prevent further damage. Improvements begin within days of starting the diet, and the small intestine is usually completely healed--meaning the villi are intact and working--in 3 to 6 months. (It may take up to 2 years for older adults.) The gluten-free diet is a lifetime requirement. Eating any gluten, no matter how small an amount, can damage the intestine.
Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is an important associated disorder or complication of celiac disease. Typically, Dermatitis Herpetiformis can be characterized as an intensely itchy skin eruption distinguished by the formation of small papules or vesicles. The patient may perceive having red bumps and blisters. The symptoms of intense burning, stinging and itching cannot be overemphasized.
It needs to be especially emphasized for the Dermatitis Herpetiformis patient that the gluten-free diet has distinct advantages; it reduces the dapsone dosage necessary and its associated complications; it provides an improvement in gastrointestinal symptoms; and, the gluten-free diet is a therapy aimed at the cause rather than the symptoms of the disease. |
