How Much Do You Know About Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is a digestive disease that can affect children and adults alike. Also known as celiac sprue, this disease is the most common genetic disease in Europe and is considered significantly underdiagnosed in the U.S. Learn more about the disease by taking this quiz.
1. People with celiac disease can't eat which kind of food?
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
When a person with celiac disease eats any of these grains, a protein called gluten found in them causes a reaction in their immune system. The immune system damages the tiny, fingerlike projections, called villi, that line the small intestine. Villi are important because nutrients pass through them into the bloodstream. When villi are destroyed, the person becomes malnourished, no matter how much food they eat. The person has trouble absorbing carbohydrates, fat, protein, fat-soluble vitamins, calcium, magnesium, iron, folate, and zinc.
3. Celiac disease is 1 of 2 forms of sprue (pronounced "SPROO"). The other form is tropical sprue. What causes tropical sprue?
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
This form of sprue is found in some tropical areas, such as the Caribbean, India, and Southeast Asia. Experts aren't sure of the exact cause, but they suspect some kind of infection, including all of those listed (bacteria, viruses, parasites, or contaminated food), or conditions such as vitamin deficiency. The main symptoms of tropical sprue are diarrhea, weight loss, and anemia. Treatment often is a course of antibiotics. Tropical sprue is rare, but celiac sprue is common.
5. Which of these is a symptom of celiac disease?
You didn't answer this question.
You answered
The correct answer is
Symptoms of celiac disease include weight loss, diarrhea, excessive gas, behavior changes, delayed growth (in children), failure to thrive (in infants), bone or joint pain, seizures, tingling numbness in the legs, tooth discoloration, and infertility. Symptoms differ from person to person. Some people have only belly (abdominal) symptoms. Others have no symptoms. People without symptoms still have undamaged parts of their small intestine that are able to absorb enough nutrients. These people are still at risk for complications.
Your score was: