Celiac Disease: Get the Facts

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month

• Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disorder in which the ingestion of gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, leads to serious damage in the small intestine, creating long-term health complications.
• Celiac disease can develop at any age after people start eating foods that contain gluten.
• 1 in 100 people worldwide have Celiac disease.
• People with a first degree relative (parent, child, sibling) with Celiac disease have a 1 in 10 chance of developing Celiac disease themselves.
• 60% of children and 40% of adults with Celiac disease do not complain of symptoms but everyone with Celiac disease is still at risk for long-term complications.
• Celiac disease can affect every organ in your body.
• The later the age of Celiac disease diagnosis, the greater the chance of developing another autoimmune disorder.
• There are two steps to being diagnosed with Celiac disease: the blood test and the endoscopy.
• You cannot "grow out" of Celiac disease. 
• Lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet is the only treatment for Celiac disease.