Recently, it was brought to my attention that alopecia is one of the symptoms of another autoimmune condition, Celiac’s Disease. This condition is one of the most common, and one of the most under diagnosed hereditary autoimmune conditions in the United States today.
Celiac’s Disease is a multi system disorder whose primary target of injury is the small intestine. The disease is triggered by gluten, the main storage protein found in certain grains. Gluten damages the small intestine so that it is unable to absorb nutrients properly. As food malabsorption continues and the disease progresses, the manifestations become more varied and complex.
Since patients with one autoimmune disease are more likely to have or to develop another, patients with celiac disease are also seen with Sjorgren’s syndrome, type I diabetes, Hashimoto’s disease, dertmatitis herpetiformis or alopecia areata.
In a recent study from Finland, 2% of celica disease patients have alopecia areata. There are reports of a gluten-free diet initiating hair growth in some patients. Along with other dermatological diseases such as psoriasis, patients have gone into remission when adhering to the diet.
To be tested for Celiac’s Disease doctors will do a blood test and then possibly an endoscopy to get a biopsy of the intestinal wall. However, the most effective and non invasive method is a saliva test, which a Natural Health Practitioner can provide for you or point you to where you can have one done.
I think all of us with alopecia should be tested to rule out Celiac’s Disease as a possible cause for alopecia.
If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!
