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Gluten Free Works Symptom Guide
The Symptom Guide as two parts: Symptom Guide Drop-Down Menu This is a unique, thoroughly researched, comprehensive listing of known manifestations of Celiac Disease. This tool allows you to find problems according to the body system affected. Simply select from the drop down menu to find an easy-to-understand description for each manifestation. Coming soon. Common Health Problems Associated with Celiac Disease 1. DIGESTIVE SYMPTOM LIST
The following symptoms in any combination may be present in about 20% of people with Celiac Disease. They result from inflammation, damage, and interference with normal function caused by gluten exposure in the digestive tract. As you can see, problems can develop not only in the small intestine where inflammation can be intense, but also in other areas such as mucosal tissues of the mouth, esophagus and stomach.
2. BEHAVIOR PROBLEMS
3. COMMON NUTRITIONAL DEFICIENCIES IN CELIAC DISEASE.
The listing below is provided to help you recognize possible vitamin and mineral deficiencies that result from malabsorption. Any of these deficiencies can be detected by your physician.
Calcium deficiency. Because circulating blood calcium levels are tightly regulated in the bloodstream, hypocalcemia (low blood calcium) does not usually occur due to low calcium intake, but rather results from a medical problem or treatment. Simple dietary calcium deficiency produces no signs at all. Hypocalcemia can cause numbness and tingling in fingers, muscle cramps, convulsions, lethargy, poor appetite, and mental confusion. It can also result in abnormal heart rhythms and even death. Individuals with medical problems that result in hypocalcemia should be under a medical doctor's care and receive specific treatment aimed at normalizing calcium levels in the blood. It is important to consult a health professional if you experience any of these symptoms. Iron deficiency. Chronic malabsorption can contribute to iron depletion and deficiency by limiting dietary iron absorption or by contributing to intestinal blood loss. Most iron is absorbed in the small intestines. Gastrointestinal disorders that result in inflammation of the small intestine may result in diarrhea, poor absorption of dietary iron, and iron depletion. Vitamin A helps mobilize iron from its storage sites, so a deficiency of vitamin A limits the body's ability to use stored iron. This results in an "apparent" iron deficiency because hemoglobin levels are low even though the body can maintain normal amounts of stored iron. Magnesium deficiency. Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As magnesium deficiency worsens, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms can occur. Severe magnesium deficiency can result in low levels of calcium in the blood (hypocalcemia). Magnesium deficiency is also associated with low levels of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia). Zinc deficiency most often occurs when zinc intake is inadequate or poorly absorbed, when there are increased losses of zinc from the body, or when the body's requirement for zinc increases. Signs of zinc deficiency include growth retardation in children, hair loss, diarrhea, delayed sexual maturation and impotence, eye and skin lesions, and loss of appetite. There is also evidence that weight loss, delayed healing of wounds, taste abnormalities, and mental lethargy can occur. Since many of these symptoms are general and are associated with other medical conditions, do not assume they are due to a zinc deficiency. It is important to consult with a medical doctor about medical symptoms so that appropriate care can be given. VITAMINS - FAT SOLUBLE Vitamin A deficiency results in night blindness as one of the first signs. Vitamin A deficiency contributes to blindness by making the cornea very dry and damaging the retina and cornea. Severe zinc deficiency often accompanies vitamin A deficiency. Zinc is required to synthesize retinol binding protein (RBP) which transports vitamin A. Therefore, a deficiency in zinc limits the body's ability to mobilize vitamin A stores from the liver and transport vitamin A to body tissues. A deficiency can occur when vitamin A is lost through chronic diarrhea and through an overall inadequate intake, as is often seen with protein-calorie malnutrition. Low blood retinol concentrations indicate depleted levels of vitamin A. This occurs with vitamin A deficiency but also can result from an inadequate intake of protein, calories, and zinc, since these nutrients are needed to make RBP. Iron deficiency can also affect vitamin A metabolism. Vitamin E deficiency is usually characterized by neurological problems associated with nerve degeneration in hands and feet. These symptoms are also associated with other medical conditions. A physician can determine if they are the result of a vitamin E deficiency or are from another cause. Blood levels of vitamin E may also be decreased with zinc deficiency. VITAMINS - WATER SOLUBLE Folate deficient women who become pregnant are at greater risk of giving birth to low birth weight, premature, and/or infants with neural tube defects. Pyridoxine (Vitamin B6) deficiency results in dermatitis (skin inflammation), glossitis (a sore tongue), depression, confusion, and convulsions. Pyridoxine deficiency also can cause anemia. Some of these symptoms can also result from a variety of medical conditions other than pyridoxine deficiency. It is important to have a physician evaluate these symptoms so that appropriate medical care can be given. Vitamin B12 deficiency occurs as a result of an inability to absorb B12 from food and in strict vegetarians who do not consume any animal foods. As a general rule, most individuals who develop a vitamin B12 deficiency have an underlying stomach or intestinal disorder that limits the absorption of vitamin B12. Sometimes the only symptom of these intestinal disorders is subtly reduced cognitive function resulting from early B12 deficiency. Anemia and dementia follow later. Signs of vitamin B12 deficiency in infancy include failure to thrive, movement disorders, delayed development, and megaloblastic anemia.
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