In many cases celiac disease symptoms in adults can be particular difficult to discern as many adults have slowly become accustomed to subtle discomforts. Among gluten sensitivity issues, celiac disease symptoms remain the most severe and consequential. Unfortunately, they are not easy to identify or understand. And latent celiac disease may also occur, where the symptoms of celiac disease in adults occur but then fade.
For this article I will focus specifically on the celiac disease symptoms in adults. For a more inclusive list of celiac symptoms see the following essay: celiac disease symptoms. For comparison’s sake, you might also reference my new article on celiac disease symptoms in children. If you’re looking for a focused checklist to help you determine your risk for celiac disease, check out: Celiac Disease Symptoms Checklist
Not all gluten intolerance symptoms are indicative of celiac disease. Some people may be diagnosed as non-celiac gluten sensitive. In some cases, people call it “gluten allergy symptoms,” but as you will understand if you read my lesson on that matter, the phrase gluten allergy is a bit of a misnomer and it is best to separate a wheat allergy from a gluten intolerance or a case of coeliac disease.
What Is Celiac Sprue Disease?
Celiac disease, also known as coeliac sprue disease or gluten enteropathy, is an autoimmune disease affecting primarily the small intestine, although evermore symptoms are indicating effects throughout the body. It can occur at any time in a person’s life, from infancy to old age. For more comprehensive coverage of celiac disease itself please read my article on Celiac Disease Symptoms, a thorough guide which covers celiac sprue disease in great detail.
Diagnosing This Condition
Celiac disease testing involves clinically specific practices. You cannot self-diagnose celiac sprue disease, and you cannot diagnose celiac disease just through an examination or a profiling of symptoms. There are two fundamental tests required to be certain celiac disease is present.
The first is a blood panel to measure for levels of antibodies. These antibodies are EMA, AGA as well as Anti-tTG. The second is a DNA test to check for the gene present in those capable of developing celiac disease. These genes are HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8. To learn more about ways doctors may investigate a celiac disease symptom and diagnose a gluten intolerance, please go over to my gluten intolerance test overview.
Celiac Disease Symptoms In Adults
Many people seek a straightforward celiac disease symptoms checklist. Sadly, because more than 250 documented symptoms of celiac disease in adults exist and that list grows every year, it is very difficult to provide a simple, clean list of coeliac disease symptoms. Many problems begin as gastrointestinal symptoms, but if left untreated or undiagnosed, the symptoms become more complex and more difficult to specifically associate with celiac disease.
I will try to provide you a resource for some of the most typical symptoms of celiac disease in adults.
Symptoms More Common In Adults:
- Addison’s Disease
- Anemia
- Arthritis
- Back pain
- Dermatitis herpetiformis
- Edema
- Fibromyalgia
- Gluten Ataxia
- Headaches and Migraines
- Infertility
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Joint Pain
- Lost of Bone Density
- Low Ferritin Symptoms
- Mineral and Vitamin Deficiencies in Blood Work
- Muscle weakness
- Panic Attacks
- Peripheral neuropathy (nerve damage)
- Psoriasis
- Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
Symptoms Common In Both Adults and Children:
- Chronic, itchy rashes (including Dermatitis Herpetiformis)
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Flatulence
- Gluten Intolerance Bloating
- Heartburn and Abdomen Pain
- Intestinal Cramping
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Vitamin K deficiency
Silent celiac disease symptoms and latent celiac disease symptoms are believed to occur more often in adults than children.
As I stated earlier, you might also view my articles on celiac disease symptoms for a more inclusive list as well as read my post on gluten intolerance symptoms.
Celiac Disease Symptoms In Women Vs Celiac Disease Symptoms In Men
It can be difficult to discern the real difference between celiac disease symptoms in men and celiac disease symptoms in women.
A study in the American Journal of Gastroenterology indicated that women with celiac disease experience, or possibly express, more gastorintestinal symptoms than men. In fact, the study indicated that women experienced twice as many gastrointestinal symptoms than men. Specifically, constipation, indigestion, and abdominal pain occurred in women with celiac disease at a much higher rate than in men with celiac disease.
A study by researchers and doctors with the University of Federico II of Naples (Italy) indicated that there may be around three times as many women suffering from celiac disease than men and that women were diagnosed as suffering from celiac disease at a younger age than men.
However, some more recent papers suggest that this difference may not be clinically accurate, that the lower statistical manifestation of symptoms in men does not necessarily reflect lower occurrence of celiac disease, only that celiac disease symptoms in men manifest differently than celiac symptoms in women.
Infertility from celiac disease appears to be a greater concern among women than men currently, however further research still needs to be conducted and verified, and there still appears to be some statistical correlation between infertile men and celiac disease.
Celiac disease can seem overwhelming when you first learn about it or find yourself diagnosed with it. You must understand that a disciplined gluten-free diet will be the only effective way to directly address celiac disease at any age. I hope this helps you better understand celiac disease symptoms in adults and the complexity and variability of this serious condition.