Celiac disease (also known as celiac sprue) can turn up later in life. The average age of diagnosis is now 40 to 50 years old, although this condition was previously known as a disease of children. In fact, diagnosis of celiac has been known to occur as late in life as your 80’s or 90’s.

The symptoms are complex and varied, regardless of when it is diagnosed: bloating, fatigue, gas, diarrhea, constipation, gluten ataxia, night blindness, dry skin, weight loss, anemia and other nutritional deficiencies.

Late diagnosis leads many patients to be confused and ask questions like “Why now?” and “How can I need to avoid gluten when I’ve been eating it all my life?”

The research is not clear on why celiac sprue can develop late in life. Theories abound, including stress, pregnancy, infection, gastric surgery and other triggering factors.

Source: New York Times; Celiac Sprue Association