Celiac disease is more common than you’d think, affecting 1 in 100 people in the US. Unfortunately, experts believe that as many as 95 per cent of those cases are either misdiagnosed or completely undiagnosed.

This happens because most physicians continue to believe that the primary symptoms for celiac disease are gastrointestinal. However, the most common form of the disease is “atypical”, where symptoms are occurring in other locations in the body.

Celiac means that your body is not absorbing nutrients properly. As a result, symptoms can involve virtually any area, including the reproductive system, nervous system, skeletal system, blood stream and dental system.

When patients present with symptoms that cannot be traced to other causes, practitioners should be looking at screening for this chronic condition. A gluten-free diet can be a lifesaver to a patient who has suffered a long time.

Source: Journal of the American Academy of Physician Assistants