The number of people diagnosed with celiac disease is on the rise, but still experts say it's under diagnosed including among children. As NY1’s Health Reporter Erin Billups explains there are some common, every day, symptoms that can easily be overlooked by parents.
First, 9-year-old Alexis Perez was having frequent headaches.
"It felt like it was getting smaller, smaller, it's just like squeezing," says Alexis.
"It's funny because after she hurt her leg we thought she was kind of making it up, because it's like she had these ‘headaches’,” says Julian Perez, Alexis’ father.
Then she began having persistent stomach pains which was affecting her at school.
"I don't know what to do because my stomach hurts and my head hurts. What am I supposed to do?" Alexis says.
Two doctors confirmed that Alexis has celiac disease. Her non-specific symptoms were signs that her body cannot process gluten.
"Some kids cannot put weight on, some of them can have just a very bloated abdomen, they can have diarrhea and they can be very, very sick. Some just have abdominal pain, they just have belly aches intermittently," says Dr. Libia Moy, NYU pediatric gastroenterologist.
With celiac, the immune system is sensitive to gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. It creates so much damage, the small intestine cannot properly absorb nutrients.
"One of the symptoms can be just fatigue, or it can be iron deficiency, anemia," says Moy.
The Pediatric Celiac Disease and Gluten Related Disorders Program at NYU Langone Medical Center helps families like the Perez’s navigate the new lifestyle that comes with celiac or a gluten sensitivity. Gluten sensitivity is similar, but without the same effect on the intestine.
"What we're trying to provide to children is education. Support is the other thing that we're constantly providing to our patients," says Moy.
Alexis' father admits it has been difficult switching to a gluten-free diet which is the only treatment available.
"It's still a lot that we're getting used to because you know there's cross contamination, there's things that we might not know," says Julian.
Alexis says she's happier knowing what's behind her symptoms.
"Now you know that you have the disease you know what to eat, you know what to not eat, I look at the bright side," says Alexis.