Celiac disease symptoms can vary from person to person, sometimes making it difficult to diagnose because the symptoms are quite broad and many of them are also symptoms of other diseases.  It can sometimes take years for a person to be diagnosed with celiac disease, as often it is one of the last illnesses to be tested for.

If you are experiences any issues that you think may be celiac disease symptoms, you should see your doctor and ask to be tested for it.

Adults will often have different symptoms than children, so let’s take a closer look at what symptoms you may experience if you have celiac disease.

Celiac Disease Symptoms in Adults

Many people are under the misconception that celiac disease is one that you have from birth.  Although you will carry the celiac gene from birth, the actual disease may not develop until later on in life.  Some people will develop the disease in childhood while others will develop it in adulthood.  Events such as pregnancy, stress, surgery or infection can also trigger the disease in a person.

Symptoms of celiac disease in adults may include:

• ·         Nausea
• ·         Diarrhea
• ·         Abdominal pain
• ·         Mouth sores
• ·         Failure to gain weight
• ·         Feeling of poor health
• ·         Fatigue
• ·         Depression
• ·         Anaemia
• ·         Skin rashes

Because many celieac disease symptoms are similar to those of other bowel disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome, celiac disease is often misdiagnosed.

Celiac Disease Symptoms in Children

Children may experience different symptoms than adults and might include:

• ·         Bloated abdomen
• ·         Chronic diarrhea or constipation
• ·         Abdominal pain
• ·         Failure to grow
• ·         Failure to gain weight
• ·         Vomiting
• ·         Behaviour problems
• ·         Skin problems

Celiac disease is a hereditary condition and so if a family member has been diagnosed with this disease then there is a chance that you may also develop the disease.  So if you are showing any celiac disease symptoms, an easy way to avoid years of waiting for a diagnosis is simply to ask your doctor to test for the disease.  If you do have celiac disease then the sooner you are diagnosed, the sooner you can change your diet and let your body begin to heal.