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- What is coeliac disease?
- Symptoms of coeliac disease
- Causes of coeliac disease
- Prevention of coeliac disease
- Risk factors for coeliac disease
- Complications of coeliac disease
- When to see a doctor about coeliac disease
- Diagnosis of coeliac disease
- Conventional treatment of coeliac disease
- Alternative/complementary treatment of coeliac disease
- Living with coeliac disease
- Caring for someone with coeliac disease
Basically a genetic intolerance to gluten is the cause of coeliac disease.
Specifically it is the proteins in gluten (gliandin and glutenin) that causes the abnormal immune response in some people, where their immune cells attack the gluten protein as a foreign substance. This intolerance to gluten causes the immune system to view the gluten protein as a toxic substance and the reaction of the immune system (to get rid of the gluten that is ingested) is to damage the lining and villi of the small intestines, which causes malabsorption of nutrients.
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Some people are born with the gluten intolerance and it manifests as coeliac disease and its associated symptoms at young age.
On the other hand, some people have a latent form of coeliac disease which does not manifest early in life, but which only starts when it is triggered by an infection of the gastrointestinal system, which then turns the latent gluten sensitivity to coeliac disease.
People with latent coeliac disease are healthy until the trigger for this condition is set and then this condition manifests.
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