GETTING STARTED: GF IN 1, 2, 3

Please explore this free comprehensive course for parents & caregivers with a newly diagnosed child or teen. This course is packed with everything you need to know about celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. In addition, there are many downloadable materials and infographics throughout. Learn how to navigate living life gluten-free to get your child on the right track to good health. It is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

This course contains three steps:

• Step 1: Understanding celiac disease
• Step 2: The gluten-free diet
• Step 3: Living gluten-free

Use the green arrows to move back and forth between the slides.

Let's get going!

STEP 1: UNDERSTANDING CELIAC DISEASE

WHAT IS CELIAC DISEASE?

• Celiac disease (CD) is a genetic condition where the body reacts to foods we ingest that contain gluten
• CD is an autoimmune disease – Autoimmune means that the body’s immune system attacks itself and in the case of CD, the immune system attacks the villi in the small intestine when gluten is ingested
• Villi are very small fingerlike projections that significantly increase the surface area of the small intestine. The function of the villi is to absorb nutrients from food and into the blood, so that the body can use them
• When gluten is ingested the immune system attacks the villi which gets blunted, causing the surface area and ability to absorb nutrients to severly decrease 
• There is no medication or cure available to treat CD. The only treatment is a strict gluten-free (GF) diet

OTHER NAMES FOR CELIAC DISEASE

• Celiac sprue
• Gluten-sensitive enteropathy
• Coeliac (pronounced celiac and commonly used in UK/Australia)

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

Celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) are common.

• About 21 million people in the United States have either CD or NCGS
• About 1 percent of the population has CD = 3 million people and about 6 percent have NCGS = 18 million people

CELIAC DISEASE STATISTICS

• 1 in 100 in the general population
• 1 in 22 with a first degree relative with CD (mom, dad, sibling)
• 1 in 39 with a second degree relative (aunt, cousin etc.) (1)

OTHER GLUTEN-RELATED CONDITIONS

DERMATITIS HERPETIFORMIS (DH)

• DH is a different manifestation of celiac disease where the immune system attacks the skin creating an itchy blistering rash when gluten is ingested
• It may be present with or without damage to the small intestine
• It is diagnosed via skin biopsy by a dermatologist
• The treatment is a strict gluten-free diet and may also include medications to manage symptoms

Gluten-Related Conditions Explained

OTHER GLUTEN-RELATED CONDITIONS (continued)

 NON-CELIAC GLUTEN SENSITIVITY (NCGS)

• NCGS is an intolerance to gluten ingestion that may show some immune response, but little to no villi damage
• Symptoms may be similar to CD
• It affects about six percent of the population
• CD and wheat allergy must be ruled out before a diagnosis of NCGS is made
• The treatment is a GF diet (2)

Gluten-Related Conditions Explained

OTHER GLUTEN-RELATED CONDITIONS (continued)

 WHEAT ALLERGY

• This is an allergic immune reaction to wheat ingestion, and involves a different branch of the immune system than CD
• It may include a reaction in the skin, mouth, lungs, and/or GI system
• Wheat allergy should be diagnosed by an allergist
• The treatment is a wheat-free diet and may include medications to manage symptoms

Gluten-Related Conditions Explained

SYMPTOMS OF CELIAC DISEASE

There are an estimated 200 or more symptoms of CD! Some individuals are asymptomatic and have no symptoms at all. Here are some of the more common ones:

NON-GASTROINTESTINAL

• Fatigue
• Depression
• Joint pain
• Muscle aches, cramps
• Peripheral neuropathies
• Infertility
• Menstrual irregularities
• Dental abnormalities
• Brain Fog (2)