Does Celiac disease cause blood in the stool?
Blood in the stool is not a common symptom of celiac disease [1]. However, in some cases, small bleeding in the gastrointestinal tract can occur when you are not on a gluten-free diet [2]. Also, around half of severe cases of celiac disease can present with blood in the stool [3].
What are the common symptoms of celiac disease?
Celiac disease can present a wide range of symptoms. The symptoms can vary from person to person. One might not even notice the disease, while someone else will experience a lot of discomfort.
The common symptoms of celiac disease include:
- abdominal pain,
- gases,
- bloating,
- chronic constipation or diarrhea,
- weight loss,
- fatigue,
- foul-smelling stool [4, 5].
However, celiac disease can also have other influences on the body. It can lead to iron deficiency, joint pain, and weak bones.
Also, celiac disease can have a dermal presentation, called dermatitis herpetiformis. This dermatological condition affects roughly 25% of celiac-ill people. It causes itchy skin rushes that consist of blisters filled with clean fluid. Specific locations of the rush are the elbows, keens, and buttocks [4].
Is blood in stool in celiac disease dangerous?
Blood in the stool in celiac disease can occur. However, it is uncommon.
Blood in stool in celiac disease is normally not a dangerous condition. The amount of blood being possibly lost that way is typically not dangerous [1].
However, even tiny regular bleeding combined with celiac disease can contribute to the development of iron-deficiency anemia [3].
...