May is Celiac Awareness Month. Increasing awareness and educating everyone about gluten intolerance are major goals of mine.

Let’s Talk to Friends & Family About Gluten Intolerance

While educating the community about gluten intolerance is something I personally do on a daily basis, I would recommend that each of us make this month about educating our friends and families. Considering that it typically takes a decade to receive a diagnosis of celiac disease and it’s estimated that only 5% of those suffering ever get diagnosed, you can see that it’s no exaggeration when we state that there’s a great deal of “awareness” to raise.

When you look at the symptoms associated with gluten intolerance it can be a little overwhelming. I’ll list them below but suffice to say there is no system of the body spared.

Digestive problems are of course well represented, but beyond that disorders of the nervous system are very frequent including such problems as migraines, seizures, ataxia, numbness, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson's.

Weight issues, both too much and too little are included, and so too are disorders of mood such as depression and anxiety.

Skin conditions are widely associated with gluten problems and eczema, psoriasis, hives, and dermatitis herpetiformis all respond very well to the removal of gluten from the diet.

Hormonal problems such as infertility, decreased libido, PMS, irregular periods, and perimenopause issues are now widely understood to have a gluten connection as well.

Gluten Intolerance is Very Related to Autoimmune Disease

What might be perhaps the most broadly encompassing condition to share with others whom you are trying to educate is the association between gluten intolerance and autoimmune diseases.

As the third leading cause of death, anything we can do to make a dent in the number of people suffering from autoimmune disease would be a tremendous help. There are many autoimmune diseases and I will list some of them below as well.

Curiously, our “friend” celiac disease is the only autoimmune disease for which is the trigger is known – gluten. But current research is showing that gluten and the damage that it creates to the intestine, its stress on the immune system, and its connection to a leaky gut is likely intimately associated with the formation of other autoimmune diseases as well.

Anyone you know who is themselves, or has a family member, suffering from an autoimmune disease should definitely be checked for gluten intolerance. So let’s keep the grassroots movement going and strive to be extra vigilant this month as support to Celiac Awareness Month. The lists I promised are below. If you look them over I guarantee that you’ll find symptoms of someone whom you care about.

Possible Symptoms and Conditions of Gluten Sensitivity

• Craving for wheat/gluten or inability to stop eating it
• Obesity Allergies
• asthma Sinus congestion
• post-nasal drip Arthritis Joint and muscle aches Diarrhea and/or constipation Gas
• bloating
• abdominal pain IBS
• colitis
• gastritis Psoriasis
• eczema or unexplained rash
• Depression, Anxiety, or mood swings
• Hormonal imbalance
• Hyperactivity
• Neurological disorders
• Memory Loss
• Unexplained chronic fatigue
• Fibromyalgia
• Increased liver enzymes
• Frequent canker sores
• Iron-deficiency
• anemia
• Osteoporosis
• dental problems
• Short stature Headaches / Migraines

Autoimmune Diseases Frequently Found in Celiac Disease

• Alopecia areata (patchy hair loss)
• Arthritis
• Autoimmune thyroid disease (Hashimoto’s)
• Cirrhosis of the liver
• Crohn’s disease
• Diabetes (type 1)
• Fibromyalgia
• Hypoparathyroidism
• Microscopic colitis
• Multiple sclerosis
• Nephropathy (kidney disease)
• Optic neuritis
• Oral cankers
• The systemic lupus erythematosus (Lupus)
• Vasculitis

Please let me know if I can be of any assistance.