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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffThere are no typical signs and symptoms of celiac disease. Most people with the disease have general complaints, such as:
- Intermittent diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
Sometimes people with celiac disease may have no gastrointestinal symptoms at all. Celiac disease symptoms can also mimic those of other conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome, gastric ulcers, Crohn's disease, parasite infections, anemia, skin disorders or a nervous condition.
Celiac disease may also present itself in less obvious ways, including:
- Irritability or depression
- Anemia
- Stomach upset
- Joint pain
- Muscle cramps
- Skin rash
- Mouth sores
- Dental and bone disorders (such as osteoporosis)
- Tingling in the legs and feet (neuropathy)
Some indications of malabsorption that may result from celiac disease include:
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal cramps, gas and bloating
- General weakness and fatigue
- Foul-smelling or grayish stools that may be fatty or oily
- Stunted growth (in children)
- Osteoporosis
- Anemia
Another gluten-related condition
Dermatitis herpetiformis is an itchy, blistering skin disease that also stems from gluten intolerance. The rash usually occurs on the elbows, knees and buttocks. Dermatitis herpetiformis can cause significant intestinal damage identical to that of celiac disease. However, it may not produce noticeable digestive symptoms. This disease is treated with a gluten-free diet, in addition to medication to control the rash.
When to see a doctor
If you notice or experience any of the signs or symptoms common to celiac disease, see your doctor. If someone in your family is known to have celiac disease, you may need to be tested.
Seek medical attention for a child who is pale, irritable, fails to grow, and who has a potbelly, flat buttocks and malodorous, bulky stools. Other conditions can cause these same signs and symptoms, so it's important to talk to your doctor before trying a gluten-free diet.
- Kelly CP. Patient information: Celiac disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 17, 2008.
- Celiac disease. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/. Accessed Sept. 25, 2008.
- Schupann D, et al. Pathogenesis, epidemiology, and clinical manifestations of celiac disease in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 17, 2008.
- Hill ID. Management of celiac disease in children. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 17, 2008.
- Ciclitira PJ. Management of celiac disease in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 17, 2008.
- Nelson DA. Gluten-sensitive enteropathy (celiac disease): More common than you think. American Family Physician. 2002;66(12):2259-2266.
- Picco MF [expert opinion]. Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. Oct. 9, 2008.
