Celiac disease - sprue

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Celiac sprue - foods to avoid	Dermatitis, herpetiformis on the arm and legs	Dermatitis, herpetiformis on the knee	Digestive system
Digestive system organs

Sprue; Nontropical sprue; Gluten intolerance; Gluten-sensitive enteropathy

You must follow a life-long gluten-free diet. This allows the intestinal villi to heal. Foods, beverages, and medications that contain wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats should be eliminated completely. You must read food and medication labels carefully to look for hidden sources of these grains and their derivatives. Since wheat and barley grains are found abundantly in the American diet, keeping to this diet is challenging. With education and planning, you will achieve the goal of healing.

You should NOT begin the gluten-free diet before a diagnosis is made. Doing so will alter future testing for the disease.

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Vitamin and mineral supplements may be prescribed to correct nutritional deficiencies. Occasionally, corticosteroids (such as prednisone) may also be prescribed for short-term use or if you have refractory sprue. Following a well-balanced, gluten-free diet is generally the only treatment required for staying well.

Upon diagnosis, seek consultation from a registered dietitian with a specialty in celiac disease and the gluten-free diet. A support group may also help you cope with the disease and diet.

For additional information and support, see the organizations listed in celiac disease resources.

Removing all damaging grains from the diet is the most important measure you can take to become healthy. If you follow the diet strictly, you can expect to lead a long, healthy life -- if permanent damage did not occur before diagnosis.

The gluten-free diet must be carefully and continuously followed. When untreated, the disease can cause life-threatening complications. A delayed diagnosis or non-compliance with the diet places you at risk for developing associated conditions such as infertility, miscarriage, osteoporosis, fractures, certain types of intestinal cancer, or other autoimmune disorders.

Call your health care provider if symptoms develop that are suggestive of celiac disease.

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Courtney W. Houchen, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.