“What are the early warning signs of celiac disease?”
I think my teenage son may have celiac disease. I want to know what are the early warning signs of celiac disease?
3 Answers
There are a number of signs and symptoms which can be used to diagnose the condition. This is not a self diagnosed disease. It needs a specialist.
Change in stools, foul smelling gas or stools, iron deficiency, weight loss, any of these can be alone or in combination.
Most people with celiac have no symptoms. If symptoms are present, then they can be quite vague and include bloating, diarrhea, abdominal discomfort, or lab abnormalities might be present. Symptoms are not specific at all. You basically cannot make the diagnosis by looking at symptoms alone. Remember that only 1% of the population has celiac and that one must be on a gluten containing diet to make the diagnosis (using blood test for antibody and biopsy of the duodenum). Make sure that a GI doctor with good knowledge of the disorder is involved in making the diagnosis or ruling it out. Gluten-free diet is not recommended in the absence of a formal diagnosis of celiac.
