Quote:
Originally Posted by undercoverbrother
Is there a difference between Gluten allergy and celiac?
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Yes. Celiac disease is
not a wheat allergy, nor is it a gluten allergy. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by eating gluten.
Celiac is a genetic disoder. In the presence of gluten, an auto-immune response occurs in which your immune system begins attacking your own body, in this case, the micro-villi of the small intestine.
It is like rheumatoid arthritis, another genetic-based auto-immune disease, but one which attacks your body’s joints, rather than intestines.
The problem with diganosing Celiac is that people's overt reactions can vary wildly - from complete intolerance that can lead to death (this is seen in babies who transition from milk to solid foods) to simple GI distress like farting. Skin manifestations, as mentioned in this thread, are also common.