Did you know that sufferers of celiac disease (those who have an autoimmune reaction to gluten) can end up with severe neurological problems?
Most people with classic celiac disease believe that it is largely related to small intestine which is affected as the body & # 39; s gluten intake is attacked by the body & # 39; s autoimmune system.
As it is mostly classic digestive symptoms that send the gluten intolerant to the doctor, it is easy to forget that the disease can affect other parts of the body as well.
For those with gluten-related neurological disorders, the diagnostic journey is much more difficult, and without increased public awareness many may never discover the destructive connection gluten has to their health.
Suffers of the disease may sustain neurological damage which difficulty walking, balance and coordination problems, numbness, slurred speech, headaches, seizures and dementia, among others. These neurological symptoms can occur with or without other symptoms associated with celiac disease. In the cases of neurological symptoms, which causes mobility problems and unsteadiness, the antibodies seem to be attacking the cerebellum, which is the part of the brain that controls coordination and movement.
As common as the phrases gluten-free and celiac disease have become in recent years, very little is mention about the neurological damage that gluten can wreak on the human body.
