Coeliac disease
What is Coeliac 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 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?
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 coeliacs 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.
