Coeliac disease is a lifelong autoimmune condition affecting people who have an inability to tolerate gluten. The body’s immune system attacks its own tissue after gluten has been eaten, which in turn inflames the gut. The associated damage means the body cannot absorb the nutrients from food which are needed for good health.

It is relatively common, with 1 in 100 people living with the condition in the UK. However, only 36% of people are diagnosed, leaving nearly half a million people with persistent, unexplained symptoms, the strain of which can impact physical and mental health.

There are a wide range of symptoms affecting people differently, but as with most conditions, early diagnosis and intervention can ease the adjustments needed and lead to much improved health.

Symptoms

These can range from mild to severe and may include nausea, bloating, fatigue, constipation or diarrhoea, mouth ulcers, unexplained weight loss and anaemia. Unfortunately, diagnosis can often take some time as it is frequently mistaken for irritable bowel syndrome or the effects of anxiety and stress.

If you are concerned about the above symptoms or feel that you may have coeliac disease (there is an increased risk of it developing if a mother, father, sister or brother already has it), please visit your GP.

There is also an online test at www.isitcoeliacdisease.org.uk for you to check your symptoms – and other information can be found at www.coeliac.org.uk

Getting diagnosed

1. Understand the symptoms and check whether you are experiencing any. At this stage it is not advised to remove gluten from your diet.
2. Check for coeliac disease by taking the online test (above) and take the results with you to a GP appointment or, if you prefer, talk through your concerns directly with the GP without taking the test. Again, it is not advised to remove gluten from your diet at this stage until you have a proper diagnosis from a health professional.
3. The GP may arrange a blood test to check for specific antibodies which suggest the presence of coeliac disease. It is still possible to have coeliac disease even if the test comes back negative so taking a good patient history is essential. Keeping a diary of any symptoms alongside food that you have eaten may help your GP in correct diagnosis.
4. If the blood test is positive, you may be referred to a gastroenterologist or gut specialist who will supervise your ongoing needs and may arrange for a gut biopsy to be taken to confirm.

Treatments

Once diagnosed, the only treatment is to completely remove gluten from the diet, which should result in a reduction of symptoms and improved health. Gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye, and some people are also sensitive to oats. Fortunately, there has been a significant improvement in foods widely available which are gluten free.

Adjusting to a new diet may take some time, but there is plenty of information available from your GP and the aforementioned online help groups. There is now a full range of recipes available with gluten free alternatives, so hopefully you won’t feel you are missing out!