Causes

Normally, your small intestine is lined with tiny, hair-like projections called villi. Resembling the deep pile of a plush carpet on a microscopic scale, villi work to absorb vitamins, minerals and other nutrients from the food you eat. Celiac disease damages the villi.

Without villi, the inner surface of your small intestine becomes less like a plush carpet and more like a tile floor, and your body is unable to digest and absorb nutrients necessary for health and growth. Instead, nutrients such as fat, protein, vitamins and minerals are eliminated with your stool.

The exact cause of celiac disease is unknown. What is known is that the disease is often inherited. If someone in your immediate family has it, chances are 10 percent to 20 percent that you may have it too. It can occur at any age, although symptoms don't appear until gluten is introduced into the diet.

Many times, for unclear reasons, the disease emerges following some form of trauma: an infection, a physical injury, pregnancy, severe stress or surgery.