After a big meal, it’s understandable if you feel a little bloated. But if meals leave you feeling more than just uncomfortable, there could be something going on beneath the surface.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease triggered by gluten consumption. While many people experience digestive symptoms including bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, and diarrhea, there are other orthopedic, skin, and mental health issues to contend with as well. Lactose intolerance, sometimes secondary to celiac disease, causes similar digestive issues.
If you’re having stomach issues, it’s important to get to the bottom of it. Finding out what’s causing your digestive upset is the key to making dietary changes that will resolve your symptoms.
Here’s what you need to know about celiac disease versus lactose intolerance, including the differences and similarities between the two.
Overview of Celiac Disease
As mentioned above, celiac disease is a type of autoimmune disorder. When a person with celiac disease consumes food containing gluten, the body initiates an immune response. This response, unfortunately, causes irritation and damage to the small intestine which results in symptoms and, often, long-term complications.
Because the small intestine plays an integral role in digestion, untreated celiac disease can lead to malabsorption of nutrients. This correlates with a host of other potential issues including malnutrition, osteoporosis, and anemia. People with celiac disease may also develop lactose intolerance.
Overview of Lactose Intolerance
Though not an allergy, lactose intolerance is a condition in which the body has a negative reaction to lactose. Lactose is a type of sugar found in dairy products made from cow’s milk. People with lactose intolerance lack the enzyme requires to fully digest lactose – it’s called lactase.
The link between celiac disease and lactose intolerance can be traced back to the damage done to the small intestine. The small intestine is lined with tiny hair-like projections called villi that become damaged by autoimmune activity. Lactase enzymes are typically located on the ends of these villi, so damage to the villi may impact your body’s ability to digest dairy.
How Do the Symptoms Compare?
The tricky thing about celiac disease is that you can have the gene for it without developing symptoms. Some people who have family members with celiac disease never display symptoms while others develop symptoms in adolescence or adulthood. Children who are born with celiac disease are more likely to experience digestive symptoms than adults who develop it later in life.
While symptoms of celiac disease worsen with continued gluten consumption, digestive symptoms don’t always occur immediately after eating gluten. Lactose intolerant individuals are more likely to experience digestive upset immediately or shortly after consuming dairy.
The most common symptoms of lactose intolerance are:
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Stomach cramps
- Bloating
- Flatulence
In most cases, symptoms of lactose intolerance develop between 30 minutes and 2 hours after consuming dairy. While some celiac disease sufferers experience digestive symptoms shortly after consuming gluten, symptoms typically develop over the next 48 to 72 hours.
The most common symptoms of celiac disease include:
- Chronic diarrhea
- Bloating
- Foul-smelling stools
- Constipation
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Dermatitis herpetiformis
- Joint or bone pain
- Fatigue
- Mental health issues
- Mouth ulcers
- Reproductive problems
Lactose intolerance is not a dangerous disease, and it doesn’t cause any long lasting effects. With celiac disease, however, continued gluten consumption can lead to long-term complications like nervous system problems, malnutrition, and mental health issues like depression and anxiety.
What Makes These Conditions Different?
The key difference between celiac disease and lactose intolerance is that celiac disease is an autoimmune disease. Both these conditions present as a negative reaction to a certain substance in food, but one is strictly a digestive issue while the other involves autoimmune activity. Lactose intolerance doesn’t cause any lasting damage while celiac disease harms the small intestine, impairing its ability to properly absorb nutrients.
Though celiac disease can’t be cured, a lifelong gluten-free diet typically results in near total relief from symptoms. It’s also possible that celiac-related lactose intolerance may resolve itself as the small intestine heals from the autoimmune damage.
Lactose intolerance unrelated to celiac disease has no cure either but avoiding lactose in the diet should resolve the issue. You can also take lactase supplements to help your body digest dairy.
By now you should have a better understanding of what celiac disease and lactose intolerance are and what symptoms they typically involve. If you’re struggling with digestive issues and think one of these conditions might be to blame, talk to your doctor.
A medical professional is the best person to consult regarding chronic digestive disorders. At the very least, your doctor can perform an exam and run tests to confirm or rule out a celiac disease or lactose intolerance diagnosis.
