People with celiac disease frequently are frightened of the refractory form of the condition, and justifiably so -- when you have refractory celiac disease, it means the gluten-free diet isn't working to stop the autoimmune reaction and heal your intestines.

But the truth is, most people who think they may have refractory celiac disease actually don't. Instead, they just need to get stricter -- in some cases, much, much stricter -- with their diets. It may mean giving up all processed foods or moving to a gluten-free, grain-free diet, but in most cases people eventually do heal.
So do you need to worry about refractory celiac disease? I wouldn't worry about it, but I would make sure I knew the signs and symptoms to watch out for, just in case. Fortunately, most people with refractory celiac can be treated successfully.
Learn more:
You'll probably never face it, but it can't hurt to know the basics, just in case.
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