The prognosis for celiac disease is increasingly becoming more and more positive as the disease is detected earlier and the treatment for celiac disease makes advancements. The celiac disease is a permanent intolerance to the gluten content in our modern diets. It occurs in genetically predisposed individuals and triggers an abnormal immune response that injures the intestinal mucosa. In this OneHowTo article we provide details on what is the prognosis for celiac disease.
The celiac disease is severe and may be fatal if not diagnosed and treated in an appropriate manner. Luckily, treatment for celiac disease exists and is being increasingly used to cure patients.
Patients who are celiac but are not diagnosed and treated may develop a marked malnutrition and die of complications such as bleeding, infections or a serious adrenal insufficiency. However, normally, the celiac disease is detected and the long term prognosis is positive.
So, the prognosis for celiac disease, when patients are treated properly with a gluten-free diet, is considered excellent.
There is, however, the possibility of complications developing or malignant diseases appearing in people with celiac disease (intestinal lymphoma, oesophageal carcinoma, lung cancer).
Although it occurs in a small percentage of cases, the mortality of these patients is twice that of the general population.
It is not uncommon that a person with Celiac Disease gives up the gluten free diet once they see that their symptoms have improved. Following the reintroduction of gluten they may remain asymptomatic for several years, but they can later show the celiac symptoms again after a variable period of time.
The reappearance of the Celiac disease symptoms can manifest themselves through isolated iron deficiency (anemia), with difficulty in absorbing food nutrients, or any other Celiac disease symptoms.
Therefore, patients with unequivocal evidence of Celiac Disease in childhood should continue indefinitely without gluten for the rest of their life.
Relatives of people with celiac disease should also be checked, since they have a prevalence of subclinical disease of about 4% and increased incidence of neoplasms.
So, the long term prognosis for celiac disease is quite positive, but it is very important to follow the correct treatment for celiac disease.
This article is merely informative, oneHOWTO does not have the authority to prescribe any medical treatments or create a diagnosis. We invite you to visit your doctor if you have any type of condition or pain.
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- For any decompensation of their disease feel and see a doctor.
- If you are celiac annually visit your doctor to monitor your condition.