Celiac disease is a chronic inherited intestinal disorder in which the body cannot tolerate gluten.  Gluten is a protein in wheat, and other grains. When people with celiac eat foods containing gluten, their immune systems respond by damaging the lining of the small intestine.  The small intestine is responsible for absorbing nutrients from food into the bloodstream for the body to use.  When the lining is damaged, so is the ability to absorb these nutrients.

     Symptoms: tiredness, weakness or exhaustion), exhaustion, Depression, Irritability, Fuzzy-mindedness after gluten ingestion , Dental enamel defects (lots of dental cavities due to weak enamel), General malnutrition with or without weight loss,  vitamin deficiencies, Diarrhea, Constipation, Lactose intolerance, Flatulence, Anorexia, Nausea, Vomiting, Burning sensation in the throat, Abdominal pain and bloating , audible bowel sounds, Abdominal distention, Steatorrhea (fatty stools that float rather than sink), Foul smelling stools, Bulky, greasy stools, Anemia (iron deficiency , Osteoporosis/Osteopenia, Bone pain (especially nocturnal), White flecks on fingernails, Short stature (due to slow growth), Arthritis, Rheumatoid arthritis, Arthralgia (pain in the joints) , spasms and twitching of the muscles, abnormal skin sensations including burning, prickling, itching, or tingling, Amenorrhea (absence of menstrual bleeding), Delayed puberty ,Infertility, Impotence, inflammation, cracking and dryness of the lips, *Angular cheilosis (specifically cracking in the corners of the lips), swollen tongue, Stomatitis (any form of inflammation or ulceration of the mouth, such as mouth ulcers, cold sores, thrush, etc.) ,Purpura (purple or red spots on your skin caused by bleeding under the skin, more common in elderly), corns, calluses, plantar warts, psoriasis, nail fungus) ,Atopic dermatitis (a tendency towards allergies and a predisposition to various allergic reactions), *Scaly dermatitis (inflammation of the skin, includes dandruff and topical allergic reactions), loss or absence of hair, leaving the skin looking and feeling normal Edema (accumulation of serum-like fluid in the body tissues), Ascites (accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity-the space between the abdominal wall and the organs), Selective IgA deficiency, Seizures, with or without occipital calcification, Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver, may be acute or chronic), Dermatitis herpetiformis (skin rash characterized as intensely itchy skin eruptions like red bumps and blisters. Burning, stinging and itching is very bad. It appears in groups around the body, most often on the head, elbows, knees, and buttocks, much like the lesions of Herpes which is why the name is herpetiformis-meaning "like herpes". Must be diagnosed by a doctor. Only occurs in celiac patients.), Liver disease, Xerophthalmia (an eye disorder which causes the conjunctiva and cornea to become abnormally dry), Night blindness,Thyroid disease, Unexplained neuropathic illnesses, including ataxia and peripheral neuropathy, may cause numbness, tingling, sensations of cold, or pain, often starting at the hands or feet and moving toward the body center. Damage to the nerves of the autonomic nervous system may lead to blurred vision, impaired or absent sweating, headaches, episodes of faintness associated with falls in blood pressure, disturbance of gastric, intestinal, bladder or sexual functioning, including incontinence and impotence. In some cases there is no obvious or detectable cause), *Ataxia (incoordination and clumsiness, affecting balance and gait, limb or eye movements and/or speech, making one appear as if they were drunk), Dementia ,Diabetes mellitus type 1, Sjogren's syndrome (eyes, mouth, and vagina become extremely dry), Collagen disorders, Down syndrome, IgA neuropathy, Fibrosing alveolitis of the lung (body produces antibodies against its own lung tissue, creates a dry cough and breathing difficulty upon exertion), Hyposplenism, with atrophy of the spleen (underactive spleen), Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas), Lymphoma (any group of cancers in which the cells of the lymphoid tissue multiply unchecked), Leukopenia (abnormal decrease in white blood cells, often reducing immune system function)
Coagulopathy (blood clotting disorder), Thrombocytosis (low blood platelets/damaged platelets, causing large amounts of bruises due to uncontrolled bleeding under the skin)
Melanosis (black or brown discoloration of the colon, usually due to chronic constipation) , Erythema nodosum (red-purple swellings on the legs and sometimes arms, with fever and joint pain)


Reactions to ingestion of gluten can be immediate, or delayed for days, weeks or even months. The amazing thing about celiac disease is that no two individuals who have it seem to have the same set of symptoms or reactions. A person might have several of the symptoms listed above, a few of them, one, or none. There are even cases in which obesity turned out to be a symptom of celiac disease.  This list was  taken from celiac.com message board.

If one has an Autoimmune disease or even if someone in their family has it, some doctors suggest that they should get tested for this.  The incidence of celiac disease in various autoimmune disorders is ten to thirty times more common compared to the general population.  H.R. Green, M.D. of the Columbia  University Celiac Disease Center says,

“it should be shouted from the rooftops” that early diagnosis is protective because the duration of exposure to gluten determines the rate of autoimmune disease…He said that Europeans know to look for celiac disease, but that Americans doctors drastically under-diagnose the disease.