Signs and Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Celiac disease in children is most likely to produce digestive symptoms that lead to malabsorption and malnutrition. This is classic celiac disease. Celiac disease symptoms in adults are usually non-classic, meaning there are one or more signs unrelated to digestion. Digestive symptoms of celiac disease include:

• Vomiting, diarrhea or constipation
• Pale, particularly bad-smelling stool
• Bloating, gas and abdominal swelling
• Weight loss

Celiac disease in children, especially babies and very young children, often results in malnutrition. Gluten damages the small intestine, so the body can’t absorb nutrients in food effectively. When this happens, children’s bodies can’t grow normally, which results in developmental problems. Older kids are less likely to experience these problems. Malnutrition in babies and young children can result in:

• Short stature
• Failure to thrive in babies
• Delayed growth or puberty
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

With celiac disease, rashes are common, especially in children. Also known as dermatitis herpetiformis, these blistering rashes often affect the elbows, knees, scalp and buttocks, and they can be very itchy and painful. Other skin and bone symptoms of celiac disease include:

• Loss of bone density, known as osteoporosis, because of difficulty absorbing calcium and vitamin D
• Pain in the bones or joints
• Arthritis
• Damaged tooth enamel and discolored teeth

In addition to pain in the joints and bones, people with celiac disease may also have pain elsewhere. These symptoms include:

• Painful mouth sores
• Abdominal pain
• Muscle cramps

In addition to attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and learning disabilities, celiac disease can produce other neurological symptoms in both children and adults. These symptoms include:

• Headaches or migraines
• Tingling or numbness in the legs, hands and feet
• Poor muscle coordination
• Seizures

Not all celiac disease symptoms are physical. Emotional and mental symptoms include:

• Anxiety or depression
• Irritability
• Behavioral problems in children

Because celiac disease is a multisystem condition, meaning it affects organs other than the small intestine, symptoms can occur elsewhere in the body. Other celiac disease symptoms include:

• Liver inflammation
• Iron-deficiency anemia that doesn’t improve with iron therapy
• Fatigue
• Missed menstrual periods, infertility or recurring miscarriages

People with no symptoms have what is called silent or asymptomatic celiac disease, but the condition still causes damage to the small intestines if you eat foods containing gluten. If you receive a celiac disease diagnosis, your immediate family members should be tested, even if they have no symptoms, because the condition runs in families. These include your parents, siblings and children.