Diseases

Gluten Enteropathy

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Medical definition of gluten enteropathy. Gluten Enteropathy: a condition, also called celiac sprue, in which the absorption of food nutrients through the small intestine is impaired by an immune (allergic) reaction to gluten, a protein found in wheat or related grains and many other foods.

SYMPTOMS

The classic symptom is diarrhoea. Other symptoms include bloating, wind, fatigue, low blood count (anaemia) and osteoporosis. Many people have no symptoms.
People may experience:

Pain areas: in the abdomen or joints
Pain types: can be burning in the chest
Gastrointestinal: belching, diarrhoea, fat in stool, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, or flatulence
Whole body: bone loss, fatigue, or malnutrition
Developmental: delayed puberty or slow growth
Also common: cramping, itching, lactose intolerance, skin rash, or weight loss

CAUSES

Gluten-sensitive enteropathy or, as it is more commonly called, celiac disease, is an autoimmune inflammatory disease of the small intestine that is precipitated by the ingestion of gluten, a component of wheat protein, in genetically susceptible persons.