Brains Expel Hair
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I have had a few requests to post info related to this condition on here and instead of responding to each of the little threads I'll just post this one major post. Keep in mind my knowledge of it is somewhat limited in scope as I've had to sort through the whole mess since I was diagnosed with the disease myself but a few weeks ago.
The reason I am posting info about this condition is it's relevance to hair loss. In many cases the disease can cause hair loss and in my own personal case resulted in hair loss in more or less in the traditional male pattern balding. While the progress is going slowly, I have treated the disease and my hair is slowly growing back. Another reason this info holds great relevance to these boards in particular is the disease itself can cause a lot of the same diseases and symptoms that are often linked with baldness so there is likely to be a slightly higher incidence of people on these boards with the disease than in the general population.
Celiac disease (CD) is a condition where your small intestine destroys itself in reaction to gluten proteins being present in the diet. Gluten is the primary protein(s) responsible for the structure in bread, cakes and many commercial emulsifiers and binders. It comes from the plants in the triticeae group of grasses which include wheat, barley and rye. CD is actually a smaller part of the bigger disorder of gluten intolerance, and where CD is singled out from basic gluten intolerance due to the damage in the small intestine, those with CD still experience all of the problems associated with gluten intolerance.
Gluten intolerance basically just means that your body is incapable of properly digesting the gluten protein. While the estimates for CD in the general population (USA) is at around 1-3% the current estimate for gluten intolerance is at 15% at least. In gluten intolerance many of the break down components of gluten are able to penetrate the small intestine and enter the blood stream where they can cause malefic influence on a number of systems. Unfortunately one of the most damaged organs effected by this condition is the brain and as such patients with the condition are often times bounced from psychologist to psychiatrist and back again in an attempt to simply treat these symptoms.
In the following list I will describe some of the symptoms of gluten intolerance and/or CD. The symptoms are quite vague unfortunately and can happen in all different parts of the body which is why this condition is most often times misdiagnosed for a persons entire life. Often times a person will swing from one end of the spectrum of a symptom to the other depending on how much damage their body is currently undergoing and how their body is reacting to it. All symptoms are not present in every person with a gluten intolerance as each case can be unique.
Symptoms:
Lethargy
Improper thermal regulation
Hyperactivity
Difficulty maintaining weight
Difficulty concentrating
Memory problems
Constipation
Diarrhea
Bloating
Easy bruising (often that does not heal quickly)
Low vitamin levels (Fe and D and some Bs are often times the ones that stand out)
Muscle weakness
Low testosterone
Slow muscle recovery
Nausea
Abnormal heart rates
Abnormal blood sugar levels
Thin hair, brittle hair on scalp and/or body
Poor hair development
Decreased ambition
Decreased sex drive
Associated conditions or frequent misdiagnoses:
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Diabetes (I and II)
Cancer
Autism
Schizophrenia
ADHD
Arthritis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Restless Leg Syndrome
Depression
Infertility
Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Candida
Alzheimer's/Dementia
Migraines
Asthma
Osteoporosis
Lactose Intolerance
Seborrheic Dermatitis
All of that crap from a simple protein that food manufacturers use to trick your mouth into thinking something has more substance to it than it really does so they can remove more and more actual food from their food cost.
Not everyone with a gluten intolerance responds the same to gluten and most often times it is hard to track down directly because it is hidden in many different ways inside processed foods. The problem is, with a chronic dosage of a severely toxic substance you end up putting yourself at a higher risk of developing one of the above conditions each year you go undiagnosed (if you have it). Current testing is done by blood tests for antibodies/genetic markers or an endoscopy in cases where celiac disease is also suspected. Current testing is around 80% effective and the only real fool proof test is the dietary test. In the gluten dietary test you cut out all sources of gluten from your diet for 2-4 weeks and note any improvements. At the end of the half month/month if you have not noticed remarkable improvement you introduce small amounts of gluten consumption back into your diet and watch for any ill effects.
The longer you have been on a gluten free diet the more likely it is to get a false negative on most of the current tests and so there is differing opinion as to whether or not to attempt the diet test before the medical tests are performed. Personally I am always of the opinion that free is better and considering it is the only fool proof one, I would say try the diet test first. Note any changes in digestion (without going into TMI, there was a lot in my case) and then if you feel that going gluten free helped you considerably take your notebook to your doctor and discuss any changes in symptoms of your "other" diseases.
The disease is genetic and so if you know of anyone in your family that has it, the diet test should be near the front of your mind for you. However also realize that many of the symptoms I listed above are quite vague and so don't flat out panic if you share any of the above, the diet test can be a real simple way to put your mind at ease before you order hundreds of dollars of lab work.
Gluten intolerance is a very very serious condition that can greatly increase a persons mortality risk if left unchecked. Altering your diet to be gluten free can be a hassle in this current age of high processed food consumption but this condition is become more and more studied and recognized in both the medical and food service/processing fields. The available gluten free selection of food grows each day so properly treating this condition does not have to be a severe burden.
If this helps even just one person to break the constrictive grip of active gluten intolerance then, well, I'll be pretty frikking happy.
The reason I am posting info about this condition is it's relevance to hair loss. In many cases the disease can cause hair loss and in my own personal case resulted in hair loss in more or less in the traditional male pattern balding. While the progress is going slowly, I have treated the disease and my hair is slowly growing back. Another reason this info holds great relevance to these boards in particular is the disease itself can cause a lot of the same diseases and symptoms that are often linked with baldness so there is likely to be a slightly higher incidence of people on these boards with the disease than in the general population.
Celiac disease (CD) is a condition where your small intestine destroys itself in reaction to gluten proteins being present in the diet. Gluten is the primary protein(s) responsible for the structure in bread, cakes and many commercial emulsifiers and binders. It comes from the plants in the triticeae group of grasses which include wheat, barley and rye. CD is actually a smaller part of the bigger disorder of gluten intolerance, and where CD is singled out from basic gluten intolerance due to the damage in the small intestine, those with CD still experience all of the problems associated with gluten intolerance.
Gluten intolerance basically just means that your body is incapable of properly digesting the gluten protein. While the estimates for CD in the general population (USA) is at around 1-3% the current estimate for gluten intolerance is at 15% at least. In gluten intolerance many of the break down components of gluten are able to penetrate the small intestine and enter the blood stream where they can cause malefic influence on a number of systems. Unfortunately one of the most damaged organs effected by this condition is the brain and as such patients with the condition are often times bounced from psychologist to psychiatrist and back again in an attempt to simply treat these symptoms.
In the following list I will describe some of the symptoms of gluten intolerance and/or CD. The symptoms are quite vague unfortunately and can happen in all different parts of the body which is why this condition is most often times misdiagnosed for a persons entire life. Often times a person will swing from one end of the spectrum of a symptom to the other depending on how much damage their body is currently undergoing and how their body is reacting to it. All symptoms are not present in every person with a gluten intolerance as each case can be unique.
Symptoms:
Lethargy
Improper thermal regulation
Hyperactivity
Difficulty maintaining weight
Difficulty concentrating
Memory problems
Constipation
Diarrhea
Bloating
Easy bruising (often that does not heal quickly)
Low vitamin levels (Fe and D and some Bs are often times the ones that stand out)
Muscle weakness
Low testosterone
Slow muscle recovery
Nausea
Abnormal heart rates
Abnormal blood sugar levels
Thin hair, brittle hair on scalp and/or body
Poor hair development
Decreased ambition
Decreased sex drive
Associated conditions or frequent misdiagnoses:
Hypothyroidism
Hyperthyroidism
Diabetes (I and II)
Cancer
Autism
Schizophrenia
ADHD
Arthritis
Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Restless Leg Syndrome
Depression
Infertility
Anxiety
Panic Attacks
Candida
Alzheimer's/Dementia
Migraines
Asthma
Osteoporosis
Lactose Intolerance
Seborrheic Dermatitis
All of that crap from a simple protein that food manufacturers use to trick your mouth into thinking something has more substance to it than it really does so they can remove more and more actual food from their food cost.
Not everyone with a gluten intolerance responds the same to gluten and most often times it is hard to track down directly because it is hidden in many different ways inside processed foods. The problem is, with a chronic dosage of a severely toxic substance you end up putting yourself at a higher risk of developing one of the above conditions each year you go undiagnosed (if you have it). Current testing is done by blood tests for antibodies/genetic markers or an endoscopy in cases where celiac disease is also suspected. Current testing is around 80% effective and the only real fool proof test is the dietary test. In the gluten dietary test you cut out all sources of gluten from your diet for 2-4 weeks and note any improvements. At the end of the half month/month if you have not noticed remarkable improvement you introduce small amounts of gluten consumption back into your diet and watch for any ill effects.
The longer you have been on a gluten free diet the more likely it is to get a false negative on most of the current tests and so there is differing opinion as to whether or not to attempt the diet test before the medical tests are performed. Personally I am always of the opinion that free is better and considering it is the only fool proof one, I would say try the diet test first. Note any changes in digestion (without going into TMI, there was a lot in my case) and then if you feel that going gluten free helped you considerably take your notebook to your doctor and discuss any changes in symptoms of your "other" diseases.
The disease is genetic and so if you know of anyone in your family that has it, the diet test should be near the front of your mind for you. However also realize that many of the symptoms I listed above are quite vague and so don't flat out panic if you share any of the above, the diet test can be a real simple way to put your mind at ease before you order hundreds of dollars of lab work.
Gluten intolerance is a very very serious condition that can greatly increase a persons mortality risk if left unchecked. Altering your diet to be gluten free can be a hassle in this current age of high processed food consumption but this condition is become more and more studied and recognized in both the medical and food service/processing fields. The available gluten free selection of food grows each day so properly treating this condition does not have to be a severe burden.
If this helps even just one person to break the constrictive grip of active gluten intolerance then, well, I'll be pretty frikking happy.