Celiac Disease and Fingernails

The Celiac Disease is a digestive disease that occurs to the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of the nutrients from food. This disease makes impossible the toleration of gluten, a protein which is found in foods or in everyday products such as medicines, vitamins and lip balms.

People with Celiac Disease usually get it from the family because is genetic and becomes active for the first time after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection or severe emotional stress. This disease stops the nutrients’ absorption and manifests with an abnormal immune reaction to gluten. There can be no symptoms but can still develop complications of the disease over time. Long term complications include malnutrition, which can lead to anemia, osteoporosis, and even liver diseases, or cancer of the intestine. Fingernails are the first indicators who show the overall health of the body. Celiac Disease is also shown on the Fingernails appearing on their surface some white flecks.

The only treatment for the Celiac Disease is a gluten-free diet. To remain healthy, people having this disease must avoid gluten for the rest of their lives. They are advised to work with a dietician on a gluten-free diet plan. The dietician is specialized in food and nutrition and the persons having a celiac disease who to read ingredient lists an identify foods that contain gluten in order to make informed decisions when they decide to buy some products or when eating out.

For most of the people with Celiac Disease such a diet will stop the symptoms of the illness, heal existing intestinal damage and prevent further damage. Improvements begin within the first days of starting the diet. The small intestine usually heals in 3 to 6 months in children but can take several years for an adult to heal. Some problems that can occur when having this disease will not improve, depending on a person’s age at diagnosis. There are symptoms such as short stature and dental enamel defects that will remain for the rest of the life.