According to a recent study, people with Celiac disease experience a loss of immune cells in their bowel lining, and the scar cells that replace these promote inflammation within the body. The consequences of this are not fully understood yet, but it likely contributes to many of the health problems that older individuals with Celiac disease face.
Celiac disease is an intolerance to gluten. Oftentimes, going “gluten free” isn’t quite enough for people with this disease. Cross-contamination is a big issue for people with Celiac, and can often lead to a flare up of symptoms even if a miniscule amount of gluten is consumed. The food that is consumed must be carefully chosen. Preparation, any cooking surfaces, and the eating area must be free of anything containing gluten, too. Otherwise, the person with the disease may accidentally consume something that they shouldn’t. This can lead to painful stomach cramping, diarrhea, muscle pain, fatigue, and more.
When someone has Celiac disease, the T-cells that are present in everyone’s stomach lining begin to change. Usually, T-cells help with fighting illness and healing. When someone has this disease, the T-cells are changed with T-cells that help with inflammation. This has been shown to have a long term negative impact on health and can increase the risk of certain types of cancer.
The researchers in the above mentioned study were from Cardiff University. Their goal is to help the long term treatment of those with Celiac. They also stated that there is a strong chance that this research could help people with other diseases, such as ulcerative colitis. Unfortunately, this study was only geared toward increasing knowledge about Celiac disease. No recommendations for how this research can be applied to help improve the quality of life for those dealing with Celiac were given.
Celiac disease and other autoimmune diseases can create a unique set of needs. Make sure that your elderly loved one’s caregiver is aware of these.
The symptoms that elderly individuals with Celiac disease are often a bit different from younger people with the disease, often because of the complications that come with this autoimmune disease and the permanent damage that it can do to someone’s body. Adding to these complications, people with one autoimmune disease–like Celiac–are often likely to have another, such as psoriasis. The health complications of multiple chronic autoimmune diseases can lead to a unique set of health issues, disabilities, and other hurdles that can complicate senior care.
There are a few ways that this can be combated. The best place to start is with your loved one’s physician. They will likely have a deep understanding of the long term prognosis for your parent and will be able to tell you everything you need to know now, and what to expect as you move forward into the future. This information can help to make care planning a lot easier.
When you choose a care service for an elderly loved one, you will want to make sure that the caregivers who will be assisting your family are aware of any health concerns that are present. Celiac is certainly a large health concern. If your mom or dad does have special needs that you are looking for in their care, it’s important that the caregiver that will be working with them is aware of this and has received the right types of training to account for them.
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