These symptoms are therefore defined as atypical or non-specific symptoms of celiac disease.
Another analogy with myocardial infarction concerns the greater frequency of atypical symptoms in women.
Knowing how to recognize these symptoms is very important to assess the presence of the disease even in the absence of classic gastrointestinal disorders.
, sustained by the lesions of the enteric mucosa caused by the autoimmune reaction against the gluten ingested with the diet.Typical symptoms include:
- Intermittent or chronic diarrhea;
- Bloating and abdominal distension;
- Colitis;
- Flatulence;
- Abdominal cramps.
As for the extra-intestinal manifestations, they are generally included in the list of typical symptoms of celiac disease:
- Weakness;
- Weight loss
- Anemia and pallor;
- Herpetiform dermatitis.
Typical Symptoms in Children
Celiac disease can occur at any age, but it prevails in children under the age of three, in whom it produces symptoms such as:
- Chronic or recurrent diarrhea, with liquid or semi-liquid, clear and foul-smelling stools;
- Digestive difficulties, with nausea and vomiting;
- Weight loss or growth failure
- Swollen belly
- Hypotrophy and muscle weakness;
- Lethargy
- Lack of appetite
- Dehydration and electrolyte disturbances;
- Changes in behavior (irritability).
Incidence of Celiac Disease
The incidence of celiac disease has long been underestimated precisely because of its tendency to often present itself in the absence of typical symptoms and signs, or to remain silent for a long time.
Today we know that the atypical forms of celiac disease are much more common than the classic ones. For this reason, it is considered that celiac disease can affect up to 1% of the adult population.
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To be precise, rather than atypical symptoms it would be more correct to speak of atypical signs of celiac disease and, even better, of potentially associated diseases (and related complications).
Attention, before continuing to read:
The following list of atypical manifestations may seem surprising for the quantity and heterogeneity of disorders / diseases potentially attributable to celiac disease.
In this regard it is essential to specify that the celiac etiology is precisely one possibility, often remote with respect to far more common causes of such ailments / diseases.
For this reason, it is essential to avoid self-diagnosis and spontaneous adoption of a gluten-free diet.
If the reader suspects that he is celiac, or in any case considers it useful to undergo an examination for the diagnosis of celiac disease, he must therefore discuss it in advance with his doctor.
Atypical Intestinal Symptoms
More tenuous and nuanced intestinal manifestations are considered atypical compared to the classic picture described in the previous chapter.
In particular, the atypical symptoms very often coincide with those of irritable bowel syndrome, with bloating, abdominal discomfort, flatulence or impaired defecation.
Atypical Oral Symptoms
- Recurrent aphthous stomatitis;
- Hypoplasia of tooth enamel;
- Atrophic glossitis;
- Intraoral manifestations of herpetiform dermatitis.
Atypical Symptoms specific to Female Sex
- Difficulty with conception;
- Recurrent miscarriages;
- Endometriosis;
- Late Menarch;
- Premature menopause;
- Changes in the menstrual cycle;
- Amenorrhea.
Atypical Symptoms specific to Male Sex
- Drop in libido
- Impotence;
- Hypogonadism;
- Oligospermia.
Other Atypical Symptoms of Celiac Disease
- Pubertal delay;
- Hypo / hyperthyroidism;
- Arthritis, arthralgia (joint pain);
- Anxiety, depression;
- Osteopenia, osteoporosis;
- Alopecia areata;
- Psoriasis;
- Follicular keratosis;
- Vitiligo;
- Constantly elevated transaminase values;
- Epilepsy;
- Cerebellar ataxia;
- Bronchial hyperactivity;
- Asthma;
- Spinocerebellar syndrome;
- Peripheral polyneuropathy;
- Asthenia;
- Schizophrenia;
- Dementia;
- Cognitive disturbances;
- Fatty liver;
- Hyposplenism (thrombocytosis).
For the various atypical manifestations described, celiac disease has earned the nickname of the disease "chameleon".
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