If a person with celiac disease eats gluten, their immune system reacts by attacking the gluten in the small intestine, causing inflammation and damage to the mucous membrane lining. This damages the villi, the fingerlike projections that absorb nutrients, leading to malabsorption and potential malnutrition. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and other gastrointestinal distress. Even small amounts of gluten can cause serious reactions and intestinal damage that may take months to heal. Over time, continued gluten exposure can lead to complications like anemia, osteoporosis, and increased risk of intestinal lymphoma or adenocarcinoma.
In some cases, accidental gluten intake may cause acute symptoms such as nausea and vomiting within two hours, which might be the most reliable indicators of gluten exposure for celiac patients. Other symptoms like cramps or diarrhea might be due to other conditions like irritable bowel syndrome rather than gluten directly. Physical damage to the intestine can vary depending on the amount and duration of gluten exposure, with as little as 10 mg per day capable of causing intestinal mucosal damage in sensitive individuals.
In summary, gluten ingestion in celiac disease causes an immune-mediated intestinal injury, triggers symptoms, and can lead to serious long-term health consequences. Avoidance of gluten is the only effective treatment to prevent these outcomes.
