Nature of the disease Celiac disease is a fairly common but little known disease. Celiac disease, or celiac sprue, is a digestive condition triggered by consumption of the protein gluten (Hill, Clinical manifestations and diagnosis of celiac disease in children, 2011). Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. People with celiac disease who eat gluten-containing foods experience an immune reaction in their small intestine, causing damage to the inner surface of the small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients (Hill, Clinical Manifestations and Diagnosis of Celiac Disease in Children, 2011). The small intestine is responsible for the absorption of food and nutrients. Therefore, damage to the lining of the small intestine can lead to difficulty absorbing important nutrients; this problem is called malabsorption. Although celiac disease cannot be cured, avoiding gluten usually stops the damage to the intestinal lining and the resulting malabsorption. Furthermore, this disease can affect both men and women, as well as children and adults. Signs and symptoms There is no certain sign or symptom of celiac disease. The symptoms associated with this disease vary from person to person. This disease is more common, but not limited to Caucasian women (Dugdale III, Longstreth, & Zieve, 2010). Celiac disease can affect a person at any time in their life, even during childhood. Symptoms of celiac disease in infants usually occur when the infant is stopped from milk and is started on solid foods (familydoctor.org editorial staff, 2010). Celiac disease affects their growth more easily in children. Such as delayed puberty, poor weight gain, slowed growth, and lower than normal height for t...... half of article ......tion: celiac disease in adults. Retrieved November 9, 2011, from UpToDate, Inc: http://www.uptodate.com/contents/patient-information-celiac-disease-in-adultsPatrick, S. (2011). Symptoms of gluten intolerance. Retrieved November 10, 2011, from Gluten Intolerance Symptoms: http://gluten-intolerance-symptoms.com/The Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011, September 13). Celiac disease: causes. Retrieved November 9, 2011, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319/DSECTION=causesThe Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011, September 13). Celiac disease: definition. Retrieved November 8, 2011, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319Mayo Clinic Staff. (2011, September 11). Celiac disease: symptoms. Retrieved November 9, 2011, from Mayo Clinic: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/celiac-disease/DS00319/DSECTION=symptoms