When gluten causes nerve damage

Many doctors think that reactions to gluten occur mainly in the digestive tract. But if you're sensitive to gluten, your nerves are at risk.

In the past, celiac- an autoimmune reaction to the gluten contained in wheat, barley and rye -was considered to be strictly a digestive problem. Stomach aches, diarrhoea, bloating and malnutrition represented its chief signs, according to conventional wisdom.

But it has now been well-established that if you suffer from a sensitivity to gluten, you can fall victim to neuropathy - nerve damage that can produce pain, tingling, weakness and numbness.

Researchers at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden, analyzed the risk of developing neuropathy among people with celiac in a study involving more than 160,000 people. The data used in the study involved diagnoses of celiac that spanned more than 40 years. The analysis showed if you have celiac, you have a 250 percent greater risk of neuropathy.

The researchers conclude: "We found an increased risk of neuropathy in patients with CD [celiac disease] that persists after CD diagnosis. Although absolute risks for neuropathy are low, CD is a potentially treatable condition with a young age of onset. Our findings suggest that screening could be beneficial in patients with neuropathy,"

-Easy Health Options