乳糜泻是一种长期的(慢性)消化问题，会伤害你的小肠. It stops your body from taking in nutrients from food. 它不同于麸质敏感或不耐受.

如果你对麸质过敏，你可能患有乳糜泻. Gluten is a kind of protein. It is found in wheat, rye, and barley. It is sometimes found in small amounts in mixed oats.

当你患有乳糜泻时你会吃含有谷蛋白的食物, your body has a reaction that is not normal. 你身体对抗疾病的部分(免疫系统)开始伤害你的小肠. 它会攻击排列在小肠上的小肿块(绒毛).

绒毛帮助你的身体将食物中的营养物质吸收到血液中. 没有绒毛，无论你吃多少食物，你的小肠都无法获得足够的营养.

Celiac disease is genetic. This means it can be passed down from parent to child.

研究表明，每141名美国人中就有1人可能患有乳糜泻. They may not know they have it.

Celiac disease is more common in people:

• Whose ancestors came from Europe

• Who are white

• Who have type 1 diabetes

• Who have Down syndrome

• Who have other autoimmune diseases

• Who can't have children (are infertile)

• Who have irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea

What causes celiac disease?

乳糜泻是一种家族遗传疾病. 你可能患有乳糜泻却不知道因为你没有任何症状.

一些可能导致症状出现的因素是:

• Too much stress

• Pregnancy

• Surgery

• Physical injury

• Infection

• Childbirth

What are the symptoms of celiac disease?

Celiac disease affects people in different ways. Some have symptoms as children. Others have symptoms only as adults. Some people have diarrhea and belly (abdominal) pain. Others may feel moody or depressed.

Each person’s symptoms may vary. Common signs of celiac disease include:

• Constant (chronic) diarrhea or constipation

• Weight loss

• Gas

• Pale, bad-smelling stool

• 不明原因的低血球计数使你感到疲倦(贫血)

• Tingling, numb feeling in the legs

• 错过月经期(与减重过多有关)

• Infertility

• 年轻时骨骼脆弱易碎(骨质疏松)或骨折

• Teeth changing color or losing their enamel

Celiac disease can be painful. Some common pain symptoms are:

• 胃痛或肿胀(腹胀)不断复发

• Muscle cramps or bone pain

• Pain in the joints

• Painful, itchy skin rash

患有乳糜泻的儿童可能无法以正常速度生长.

You may have celiac disease but not have any symptoms. 这是因为没有受伤的小肠部分仍然可以吸收足够的营养. 但你可能仍然有患上这种疾病的风险.

乳糜泻的症状可能看起来像其他健康问题. Always see your healthcare provider to be sure.

How is celiac disease diagnosed?

Celiac disease can be hard to diagnose. 它的症状可能看起来像其他消化问题的症状，例如:

• Crohn's disease

• Irritable bowel syndrome

• Ulcerative colitis

• Infected colon (diverticulitis)

• Intestinal infections

• Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth

To see if you have celiac disease, 你的医疗保健提供者会看你过去的健康状况，并做一个身体检查. You may also have tests such as:

• Blood work. 这样做是为了检查你血液中抗感染细胞(抗体)的水平. 乳糜泻患者体内这些细胞的含量高于正常水平. 你的免疫系统制造这些细胞来帮助对抗身体认为是危险的东西(比如麸质).

• Biopsy. 这是判断你是否患有乳糜泻最准确的方法. 组织样本(活检)从你的小肠检查损伤绒毛. 要做到这一点，首先给你药物来帮助你放松(镇静)。. The healthcare provider puts a long, thin tube (endoscope) in your mouth, down to your stomach, and into your small intestine. 他们使用穿过试管的工具提取组织样本. The sample is checked in a lab.

What is the treatment for celiac disease?

如果你有乳糜泻，你必须停止吃谷蛋白. 吃谷蛋白会对你的小肠造成更大的伤害. 消除麸质是治疗这种疾病的唯一方法. You must not eat gluten for the rest of your life. 在大多数情况下，从你的饮食中去掉麸质会停止你的症状. And any damage to your intestine will heal. It will also stop any more damage from happening.

Removing gluten from your diet can be hard. This is because gluten can contaminate many foods. 它可以在调味品、沙拉酱和其他意想不到的地方找到. For this reason, 你的医疗保健提供者可能会把你推荐给专门研究乳糜泻的营养师. The Celiac Disease Foundation also has a lot of information.

在你停止吃含麸质的食物后，你的症状可能会在几天到几周内好转. 你的小肠应该在3到6个月内完全愈合. 在某些情况下，完全愈合可能需要更长的时间，即使你可能感觉好多了. Your villi will be back and working again. 如果你年纪大了，你的身体可能需要两年的时间才能痊愈.

如果你的维生素水平较低，你的医疗保健提供者可能会建议你补充一些维生素.

您的医疗保健提供者将通过血液检查跟踪您的进展. 有时你可能需要再做一次上腔内窥镜活检.

Key points about celiac disease

• 乳糜泻是一种伤害小肠的消化问题. It stops your body from taking in nutrients from food.

• 如果你对麸质过敏，你可能患有乳糜泻.

• Celiac disease is genetic. It is more common in people who are white, have type 1 diabetes, are obese, or have ancestors from Europe.

• 你可能患有乳糜泻却不知道因为你没有任何症状.

• It can be hard to diagnose. 它的症状可能看起来像其他消化问题.

• The only treatment is to stop eating gluten. 一旦你停止吃麸质，你的身体就会开始愈合.

Next steps

帮助您从医疗保健提供者那里获得最大收益的建议:

• 知道你访问的原因和你想要发生什么.

• 在拜访之前，写下你想要回答的问题.

• 带一个人来帮你问问题，并记住你的医疗保健提供者告诉你什么.

• 在就诊时，写下新的诊断和任何新的药物、治疗方法或测试的名称. 也写下你的医疗保健提供者给你的任何新的指示.

• 了解为什么要开一种新药或治疗方法，以及它将如何帮助你. Also know what the side effects are.

• Ask if your condition can be treated in other ways.

• 了解为什么要推荐一个测试或程序，以及结果可能意味着什么.

• 知道如果你不吃药或不做检查或不做手术会发生什么.

• 如果你有后续预约，写下日期、时间和目的.

• 如果您有疑问，请了解如何与您的医疗保健提供者联系, 尤其是下班后、周末和节假日.