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Celiac disease is an inherited autoimmune condition that affects both children and adults. It has to do with gluten, the protein found in all forms of wheat — including durum, semolina, spelt, khorasan (Kamut), einkorn, and faro — and related grains, such as rye, barley, and triticale. People with celiac disease have to avoid all foods that contain gluten.

When people with celiac disease eat gluten, it creates a reaction that damages the villi, the nutrient-absorbing projections on the lining of the small intestines. Because the body can’t absorb the nutrients, someone with celiac disease may become malnourished. Even the smallest amount of gluten can pose a threat to people with celiac disease.

Celiac disease can develop at any time, from infancy to adulthood. Although damage to the villi may heal — it takes three to six months to heal in children, two to three years for adults — people with celiac disease must continue to follow a gluten-free diet for the rest of their life.

Some of the symptoms of celiac disease are fatigue, bloating, constipation, weight loss, abdominal pain, gas, diarrhea, and weakness. It can progress to anemia, irritable bowel syndrome, and even early-onset osteoporosis.

Health problems that accompany celiac disease go well beyond the gastrointestinal tract. Damage to the bowels can lead to other autoimmune disorders (disorders that occur when the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue). Some associated autoimmune disorders, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF), are

 Addison’s disease

 Alopecia areata

 Chronic active hepatitis

 Graves’ disease

 Insulin-dependent type 1 diabetes mellitus

 Liver diseases

 Lupus

 Raynaud’s syndrome

 Rheumatoid arthritis

 Sjögren’s syndrome

 Scleroderma

 Thyroid disease — Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

In addition, several other disorders have been associated with celiac disease:

 Chronic fatigue syndrome

 Down syndrome

 Fibromyalgia

 Williams syndrome