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Is ADHD and Coeliac Ailment Associated With Each Other?

28th February 2021

Have you ever noticed the parents of ADHD children saying that diet seems to play a key role in their children's signs of ADHD?

Also, many parents of ADHD kids have started removing certain food dyes and additives, along with sugar in order to manage the condition. Well, the 21st-century special needs education courses create the awareness about this field of special education. Now, different studies have pointed to a new probable cause for ADHD signs: gluten.

Usually, people with ADHD often act impulsively and are easily distracted. They also have trouble concentrating and focusing on imperative tasks. For various of them, the symptoms will continue into adulthood. An individual with ADHD, can present with or without hyperactivity, and the symptoms also can differ. As ADHD is a cognitive special need, it is more than reasonable to ask ‘Are ADHD symptoms and Coeliac Disease Allied?’

Well, let’s have a look at what Coeliac Disease really is, its signs and long-term effects:

Coeliac Disease: It is an autoimmune ailment where the body responds when gluten-containing foods are being consumed. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. The intestinal villi become dented and no longer work capably when people with coeliac disease consume gluten. Some classic symptoms of coeliac disease are – Bloating, Gas, Abdominal spasms and/or pain, Diarrhoea and/or constipation, Nausea and/or vomiting, etc.

If the coeliac disease has gone undiagnosed for several years, the signs may develop to unsolved infertility, early-onset osteoporosis, vitamin deficiencies, liver disease, and other health problems. Most people contemplate the chief symptoms of coeliac disease are gastrointestinal symptoms. However, it’s significant to recognize though, that not everyone with ADHD also has CD, or vice versa.

The following table summarizes some common symptoms to both CD and ADHD:

Apparently, there are too many indicators to list here, but these are the major ones –

So, it would appear that some of the difficulties in those with coeliac disease are quite similar to those in people detected with ADHD. Also, it is crucial to understand the fact that the strictness of signs differs between individuals.

Now, after reading till now, if you suspect gluten may be contributing to a child's ADHD symptoms, what should you do?

We would recommend you should consider testing for celiac disease. Especially if your child or student shows other celiac-related indicators. Celiac indicators in children may include something more delicate. If the test result becomes positive then you need to take precautions and medications. If the tests are negative for celiac disease then you may drop gluten from your child's diet or as a teacher, you may suggest the parents of the child for a month or so to understand if symptoms advance.

Well, repeatedly a possible connotation of celiac disease with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has been conveyed. Also, with different research works, the indication for an association between ADHD and celiac disease is equally strong. People and children with celiac disease do seem to have a developed risk of ADHD than the general population. The subject has been enclosed in the special needs education courses as well for the 21st century special education teaching. Here, please note that coeliac disease is the ideal spelling in British English, while celiac disease is characteristically being used in North American English.