Other Symptoms of Celiac Disease
There are a number of other symptoms people with
celiac disease can experience. Because of the number and variety of these symptoms, a
celiac disease diagnosis can sometimes be hard to make; people with the condition may be misdiagnosed. Other symptoms of celiac disease may include:
- Gas
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Unexplained anemia (a low count of red blood cells causing fatigue)
- Bone pain or bone tenderness
- Joint pain
- Behavioral changes, such as depression or anxiety
- Tingling numbness in the legs (from nerve damage)
- Muscle cramps
- Seizures
- Missed menstrual periods (often because of excessive weight loss)
- Infertility
- Failure to thrive in infants
- Pale sores inside the mouth (called aphthous ulcers)
- Tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
- Itchy skin rash (known as dermatitis herpetiformis).
Why Symptoms of Celiac Disease Vary
Researchers are studying the reasons why celiac disease affects people differently. Some people develop symptoms of celiac disease as children, others as adults. Some people with celiac disease may not have symptoms, while others may not know their symptoms are the result of celiac disease. The undamaged part of their small intestine may not be able to absorb enough nutrients to prevent symptoms from developing.
Three factors thought to play a role in when and how celiac appears are:
- The length of time a person is breastfed
- The age a person started eating foods containing gluten
- The amount of gluten-containing foods one eats.
Some studies have shown, for example, that the longer a person was breastfed, the later the symptoms of celiac disease appear and the more uncommon the symptoms.
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