In one of our earlier blogs, we spoke about autoimmune diseases. Today, we shall discuss how autoimmunity manifests itself in different forms. An autoimmune disease is one in which the body’s immune system attacks healthy cells. Celiac disease, the most well-known autoimmune disease, is caused by an allergy to gluten. The lining of the small intestine has finger-like protrusions called villi. Years of exposure to gluten can damage these villi.

Symptoms of Celiac Disease:

Besides the gut, gluten can cause autoimmune diseases in other organs too. Numbness, tingling in the extremities, fatigue, low thyroid function are all indications of Celiac disease. Some of the common symptoms are:

Rheumatoid Arthritis:

A chronic inflammatory disorder affecting many joints, including those in the hands and feet.

Lupus:

Affects the joints, skin, kidneys, blood cells, brain, heart and lungs. General symptoms are fatigue, fever and hair loss.

Sjogren’s syndrome:

The body’s immune system attacks its own healthy cells that produce saliva and tears, leading to dry eyes and dry mouth. Joint pain, swelling and stiffness, swollen salivary glands, skin rashes are also indicative of this disease.

Type 1 diabetes:

Usually appears in adolescence. It is a chronic condition in which the pancreas start lessening the production of insulin, and ultimately stop.

Polymyalgia rheumatica:

Occurring around the age of 50, this is an inflammatory disorder causing muscle pain and stiffness around the shoulders and hips.

Alopecia areata:

Brought on by severe stress, the autoimmune system attacks hair follicles leading to sudden hair loss that starts with one or more bald patches.

Multiple sclerosis:

In this condition, the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves, resulting in nerve damage. This leads to disruption of communication between the brain and the body.

Vasculitis:

Thickening and narrowing of blood vessels cuts off vital blood supply to organs and tissues. This is caused by inflammation of the blood vessel walls. This quick overview of the various manifestations of Celiac disease has been shared for you to take a good look at your own body. If you sense even the slightest discomfort or notice any of the symptoms over prolonged periods, it might be a good time to make a small lifestyle change, starting with, ‘goglutenfree’