Celiac disease; a chronic digestive and immune disorder that damages the small intestines in your stomach. This is caused by gluten. This disease has long-lasting side effects, and will keep your body from getting all the nutrients it needs. Before being diagnosed with celiac disease I hadn’t realize how much it affects my day to day life, and what people just don’t get about it.
I found out I had celiac about three years ago. I would wake up every morning sick to my stomach. I remember throwing up each morning (which relieved my nausea ) then heading off to school like nothing happened. Doctors blamed this on my mental health, and said my anxiety was causing this. I knew it was more than that, so I saw several doctors, trying to get answers. This continued for a year before I found my current doctor who found out what was wrong with me. When I found out I had celiac I was so relieved I knew what was wrong with me… little did I know what was coming my way.
Here are some of the main things people don’t understand about this disease, which I didn’t know at first either.
The main thing people don’t understand about celiac is that it can cause more physical health issues. The most common physical side effect is joint pain and inflammation, yet it’s not the most serious one. There is a risk of infertility issues. This happens within men and women. Whenever someone tells me, “just take a bite it’s not that much” they don’t know doing that could take away my chances of having kids one day.
Cross contamination is another big one. For example, if I go to a restaurant and order a food that has no gluten in it, but it’s cooked in the same fryer with glutened foods then I can’t eat it. Or if someone touches gluten then reaches into the chip bag, the chip bag is now glutened.It is really hard for me to eat out because celiac is still something people are still learning about. I’ve had a waitress ask me what gluten is before, and that just shows how much staff members at restaurants aren’t trained on allergies enough. Although there are some great restaurants that understand well and take many precautions.(Handle Bar Café, Hard Wood Café, Panera, etc.) That includes all the main things people don’t understand about celiac disease. I’d just like to conclude that this is my own opinion on what people don’t understand, and this can be different for other people with celiac.
Gluten is not just in foods and that’s something people with celiac really have to watch out for. Here is a list of just some of many items that have gluten in them. Paper straws, toothpaste, hand soaps, makeup, hair products, glue on envelopes, laundry detergent, playdough, etc. I know it’s something you wouldn’t have even thought about.
Symptoms can vary between people who have celiac that eat gluten. The main one is constant throwing up all night. The next morning their stomach will appear bloated and hard to the touch. This is the intestines swelling in your stomach. This can all include indigestion and stomach aches.
