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What Is Celiac Sprue Disease?
Celiac Sprue Disease is a digestive disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. The main cause of this is due an abnormal reaction to the protein, gluten.
Gluten is found in many wheat products such as such as durum semolina, spelt, einkorn, kamut and related grains such as rye, barley, and oats.
The causes of celiac sprue disease have not been proven but are presumed to be due to a genetic susceptibility to the illness, stress, pregnancy, Possible exposure to gluten as a young baby before the gut barrier has developed fully. This association is currently under investigation.
One of the major factors which contributes to the development of Celiac Sprue Disease is the first exposure to gluten. Babies who were introduced to wheat, barley, or rye at any time in the first three months had five times the risk of developing coeliac over those exposed at 4 to 6 months. Those exposed later had a slightly increased risk relative to those exposed at 4-6 months.
Other names for this type of disorder are celiac disease, coelic disease, non-tropical sprue, endemic sprue, gluten enteropathy, gluten sensitive enteropathy and gluten intolerance.
Celiac Sprue Disease Symptoms
The Celiac Sprue Disease Symptoms can vary wildly from one person to another. The symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, constipation and weight loss (or stunted growth in children) and fatigue.
Until recently physicians had to rely on clinical signs to suggest the diagnosis and to select which patients should have further investigation to prove the diagnosis. Since these signs may be vague and difficult to spot, simple blood screening tests are becoming available to help this process.
Another method used to diagnose Celiac Sprue Disease Symptoms is using celiac tests. These home tests are available from chemists and online shops and can give a quick and accurate diagnosis without going to the doctors.
However, the most effective method is using a bowel biopsy. This biopsy is conducted by a professional in the gastrointestinal field.
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