Living with Celiac Disease: 7 Simple Tips for Improving Your Day-to-Day Quality of Life

If you’ve recently been diagnosed with celiac disease, you may be feeling overwhelmed by the upheaval your diagnosis has brought into your life. Transitioning to a gluten free diet should be your immediate focus because it is the only truly effective treatment for celiac disease currently available. Doing a complete overhaul of your diet can be challenging, but the sooner you commit yourself to the change, the sooner your body will heal and the sooner you’ll feel relief from your symptoms.

Switching to a gluten free diet is just one of the ways celiac disease changes your life. As you work to get your symptoms under control, there are certain other lifestyle changes or healthy habits that can help you improve your quality of life with celiac disease. Read on to find out what they are.

Understanding Celiac Disease

When your doctor made the celiac disease diagnosis, he or she probably gave you some information about the condition and how to manage it. You may have been told that celiac disease is a chronic digestive disorder linked to gluten consumption, but how much do you really know about it? Understanding what celiac disease is and how it affects your body is essential for long-term management of the condition.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease triggered by gluten, a type of protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. When the body senses gluten, it recognizes it as a foreign invader and launches an immune reaction. This reaction causes inflammation in the small intestine and can actually damage the lining of the small intestine over time. Long-term damage caused by celiac disease can prevent the body from absorbing nutrients and may contribute to symptoms including anemia, fatigue, and weight loss in addition to digestive symptoms like bloating, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Because celiac disease is triggered by gluten proteins, the only reliable form of treatment is removing gluten from your diet. Many celiac sufferers start to feel better within weeks of switching to a gluten free diet, though it could take months for the intestinal damage to heal.

The Psychological Impact of Celiac Disease

The most common symptoms of celiac disease are related to digestive distress and the malabsorption of nutrients, but many celiac sufferers experience psychological symptoms as well. According to a 2015 article published in the United European Gastroenterology Journal, anxiety, depression, and fatigue are common complaints of patients with untreated celiac disease. These symptoms can contribute to a reduced quality of life, and, for some celiac sufferers, they do not completely resolve after switching to a gluten free diet. Psychological symptoms can not only affect quality of life but dietary adherence as well.

There are a number of theories regarding the psychological impact of celiac disease. Some suggest that related malnutrition and vitamin deficiencies prevent the body from producing the monoamine precursors needed to produce neurotransmitters like serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine. Imbalance in these neurochemicals can lead to emotional and psychological problems.

Another theory is that the inflammatory response triggered by gluten consumption can negatively impact the brain. Chronic inflammation is also linked to an increase in stress hormone production which can affect mental health and cognitive function.

Tips for Improving Your Quality of Life

Living with celiac disease can be challenging but the effects may not be limited to the person with the disease. Celiac disease tends to run in families, and it can be particularly severe in children. The need for strict adherence to a gluten free diet can be stressful for families and individuals – it can contribute to a sense of isolation, social alienation, and reduced quality of life.

Here are some tips for improving your quality of life with celiac disease:

1. Focus on what you have, not what you’ve lost. Cutting gluten out of your diet completely is a drastic change for many, but it can help to focus on the foods you CAN enjoy rather than lamenting the loss of those you can’t.
2. Try new foods and experiment with different techniques. Following a gluten free diet may seem limiting, but with the right ingredients and techniques you can make all of your favorite recipes. Take the time to learn about gluten free cooking and try to have fun with it.
3. Take advantage of gluten free convenience foods. Over the past decade or two, food manufacturers have become much more responsive to the needs of gluten free consumers. Keeping gluten free convenience foods and snacks on hand means you always have a safe option when you need it.
4. Join a support group and enlist your family’s help. Having celiac disease can make you feel pretty isolated at times, so try joining a support group or get your family involved in your treatment. This is particularly important for children with celiac disease.
5. Make self-care a priority in your life. Stress is a constant in life but managing celiac disease can add to your burden, so make sure to take time for yourself as often as you can. Try incorporating meditation and mindfulness into your life to boost your mental health.
6. Get your daily dose of exercise. Regular exercise is essential for both mental and physical health, so try to get 30 minutes of activity at least 3 to 5 times per week. Have fun with it too – try new things like group exercise classes to keep yourself motivated.
7. Become an advocate for other celiac disease sufferers. Celiac disease affects roughly 2 million people in the United States and about 1% of the world’s population. Get involved with celiac disease research by participating in studies to help advance the scientific study of the disease.

Though it can be difficult to make a lifelong commitment to the gluten free diet, it’s the only reliable way to treat celiac disease. Untreated celiac disease can lead to malnutrition, osteoporosis, and infertility. It may even put you at risk for certain types of cancer and nervous system problems. If you don’t already, start taking your diagnosis seriously and put some of the tips above into play to improve your quality of life with celiac disease.