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Celiac disease: the signs, getting tested, the gluten-free diet, and treatment
For anyone who thinks it could be celiac disease, was just told they have it, or is caring for a child who has it. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK, part of the NIH) says celiac disease is a chronic digestive and immune disorder that damages the small intestine; that it is triggered by gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye; that many people who have it have not been diagnosed; and that it is treated with a gluten-free diet, for life. This page passes on, by name, what NIDDK says: the signs in children and adults, what causes it and who gets it more, getting tested (and why to keep eating gluten until then), the gluten-free diet, and treatment and follow-up. It builds the words to say to a doctor, a pharmacist or a restaurant, and prints a card to keep.
Right now
- Trouble breathing, or swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, after eating: call 911. It can be a severe allergic reaction, which is not celiac disease (ours).
- A baby or child with diarrhea or vomiting who seems very sick? Call the doctor now (ours). The signs of dehydration, and when it is 911.
- Think it could be celiac disease? NIDDK says do not stop eating gluten before you are tested: it can make the results wrong.
More help
- Other belly troubles: An upset stomach: find the right page · Constipation in adults · Food poisoning and stomach bugs · Vomiting and diarrhea in a baby or child.
- What can be part of it: A severe allergic reaction · Diabetes · Osteoporosis · Sjögren’s disease · Depression · Anxiety · Dental care · Eating disorders.
- Food, care and costs: When you need food · When you need a doctor and can’t pay · My medicines list · Symptom diary · Get ready for your appointment.
- In a crisis: Help right now (988, 911). All our free tools.
An upset stomach, and not sure this is the right page? The pages on this site for throwing up, diarrhea, heartburn and constipation, on one list.
This page and its wording were written with AI (Claude) for Scarlet Beast (our AI policy). No doctor, nurse or dietitian has reviewed it. The facts were read on October 16, 2026 on NIDDK’s Celiac Disease pages (NIH): the overview, Definition & Facts, Symptoms & Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment and Eating, Diet, & Nutrition (last reviewed October 2020). Ours: calling 911 for trouble breathing or swelling after eating; calling the doctor now for a baby or child with diarrhea or vomiting who seems very sick; asking a child’s doctor before changing what the child eats; telling the school and anyone who feeds a child; not stopping or changing a prescribed medicine on your own because of gluten, and asking the pharmacist; food banks and SNAP when food costs too much; 988; and the order of the steps. What we left out: the name of the one medicine NIDDK gives for the rash, brand names, supplement amounts, research studies, and clinical pages for providers. This page saves nothing and loads no trackers.