Can Celiac Disease Be Outgrown?

Question: Can Celiac Disease Be Outgrown?

Answer: Celiac disease (once known as celiac sprue) used to be thought of as an uncommon disease that affected only children who eventually outgrew the condition. It is now known that celiac disease is fairly common (it may affect as many as 1 in 100 people) and can affect both children and adults. In fact, celiac disease is a lifelong illness, and symptoms may appear at any point in time (not always during childhood).

People with celiac disease are unable to tolerate eating a protein named gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, and potentially in oats. The only effective treatment for celiac disease is to avoid eating foods that contain gluten. Symptoms can vary but may include weight loss, diarrhea, constipation, and abdominal pain.

Celiac disease is often diagnosed in childhood, which may be where the myth that it is a childhood disease began. It may go undiagnosed until a person reaches adulthood because some people do not have consistent symptoms, the symptoms may not be severe, or symptoms may attributed to other conditions.

_Source:

_{National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse. "Celiac Disease." National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Sept 2008. 1 Feb 2011.}