Celiac disease is an autoimmune reaction to eating gluten.

If you have celiac disease, eating gluten causes your body’s immune system to attack your small intestine. This damages the lining of your small intestine and prevents your body from absorbing required nutrients. Over time, untreated celiac disease can lead to malnutrition, intestinal damage, and other serious health complications.¹

Celiac disease occurs in approximately 1 percent of the world’s population, but most people with the condition are undiagnosed.² It can develop at any age, as some people develop it as children and others as adults. Celiac disease is an underdiagnosed, undermanaged condition associated with serious long-term complications, including the development of osteoporosis, neurologic disorders, gastric ulcers, and cancer (such as lymphoma).^3,4 It often runs in families. If someone in your family has celiac disease, talk to your healthcare professional to see if you should also be tested for celiac disease.

Common Symptoms of Celiac Disease

If you have celiac disease, diagnosis may take time because the symptoms that people think of—diarrhea, weight loss, and bloating—are just part of the picture. Some people with celiac disease may exhibit other nondigestive symptoms, or sometimes people have no symptoms at all.³

Symptoms in Adults

More than half of adults with celiac disease have signs and symptoms that are not related to the digestive system, including:

Symptoms in Children

Infants and children tend to experience digestive problems such as: 

• Abdominal bloating and pain
• Chronic diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Constipation
  

Children can also experience other nondigestive symptoms, including fatigue, irritability, behavioral issues, delayed growth and puberty, and failure to thrive.^2,5

Common Celiac Disease Triggers

Wheat isn’t the only gluten-containing grain. Other culprits are barley, bulgur, rye, and seitan. And although oats don’t contain gluten, they are often processed in facilities that also produce gluten-containing grains, which means there's a risk for cross-contamination. So many people with celiac disease avoid oats as well.

Some common foods, drinks, and sauces that could contain gluten and trigger an autoimmune response in someone with celiac disease include:

Gluten can be hidden in many foods. That’s why it’s important to read food labels and ask about gluten before buying and eating food. Additional, perhaps surprising, examples of where you might find gluten include: