Defining Terms
Definitions
Anemia – a decrease in the number of red blood cells in the body; the laboratory test that shows this is known as the hematocrit. Most commonly, individuals with celiac disease are anemic due to either bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract, or poor absorption of iron (a necessary component in making red blood cells), or a combination of the two.
Autoimmune diseases – At a very basic level, celiac disease results from irregularities in immune function. Either because of underlying predisposition of the immune system in people with celiac disease, or due to indirect effects of celiac disease itself, illnesses caused by disfunction of the immune system are common. Some of these include thyroid disease, vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis and type 1 diabetes mellitus.
Glossitis – the tongue is inflamed, covered with ulcers, and is tender and painful.
Steatorrhea – fat globules in the bowel movement; typically, the stool can be seen floating on the top of the water and may be greasy in quality.
Villous Atrophy – along the surface of the small intestine there are countless tiny finger-like projections that help to increase the surface area of the intestine and aid in the absorption of water and nutrients. In celiac disease and a small number of other entities, these are lost leading to a flat intestinal surface and malabsorption. This loss of villi is known as villous atrophy.
