Coeliac disease
What is Coelica Disease? Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease. Gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye triggers an immune reaction in people with the disease. This means that eating gluten damages the lining of the small intestine. It is not the same as an allergy to wheat, which is very rare. In fact, recent research has suggested that over 98% of the population (excluding diagnosed coeliacs) can eat wheat without any problems.
How common is coeliac disease?
It is thought that 1 in 100 people have coeliac disease, but because the symptoms are similar to IBS and other gasterointestinal conditions, some people may not be diagonosed.
What should I do if I think that I have coeliac disease and I want a diagnosis?
Make an appointment with your doctor but you must continue to eat gluten. Eating gluten may seem strange but the tests for coeliac disease involve looking for antibodies.
What are the symptoms of coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease has many symptoms including:
- diarrhoea, excessive wind, and/or constipation
- persistent or unexplained gastrointestinal symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting
- recurrent stomach pain, cramping or bloating
- any combination of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency
- tiredness and/or headaches
- weight loss (but not in all cases)
- mouth ulcers
- hair loss
- skin rash
- tooth enamel problems
- osteoporosis
- depression
- infertility
- repeated miscarriages
- joint and/or bone pain
- neurological (nerve) problems such as ataxia (poor muscle co-ordination) and neuropathy (numbness and tingling in the hands and feet).
What should I do if I think that I have coeliac disease and I want a diagnosis?
Make an appointment with your doctor but you must continue to eat gluten. Eating gluten may seem strange but the tests for coeliac disease involve looking for antibodies that a coeliac’s body would produce when they eat gluten, so if you stop eating gluten, your body will not produce any antibodies and the test will come back negative.
More information on coeliac disease can by found on the coeliac UK website: