It’s Coeliac Awareness Month now in the UK, and Coeliac UK is trying to raise awareness of this serious autoimmune disease which affects around 1 in 100 people in the UK, but it is estimated that there are half a million people who are undiagnosed and struggling with symptoms.
Coeliac disease is a disease where the body’s immune system attacks its own tissues when it comes into contact with gluten, this causes damage to the lining of the gut preventing adequate absorption of nutrients from digested food (Mooney & Sanders, 2020). Coeliac is not an allergy or food intolerance, it is a chronic autoimmune disorder that occurs in genetically susceptible individuals and if left untreated can lead to complications such as osteoporosis and anaemia (Holmes, 2010). It is therefore crucial to get an early diagnosis and management in order to minimize damage to the gut and improve quality of life.
The most common symptoms include:
- GI symptoms – bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, wind, constipation, tiredness, mouth ulcers, sudden or unexpected weight loss (but not in all cases), and anaemia.
- IBS – because of the way that coeliac disease can affect the gut, it’s frequently misdiagnosed as IBS.
Coeliac disease has a wide range of symptoms so if you or someone you know is unsure go to the Coeliac UK website and use their assessment tool to check here: online assessment.
Once diagnosed, treatment is following a gluten free diet. Gluten is found in wheat, barley and rye and some people are also sensitive to oats. The good news is that once gluten is removed from the diet, symptoms will be relieved, and individuals feel much better.
#CoeliacAwarenessMonth
References
Holmes, S. (2010). Coeliac disease:symptoms, complications and patient support. Nursing Standard, 24(35), 50–56. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.24.35.50.s51
Mooney, P. D., & Sanders, D. S. (2020). Coeliac disease. In J. Satsangi (Ed.), Oxford Textbook of Medicine (pp. 2884–2891). Oxford University PressOxford. https://doi.org/10.1093/med/9780198746690.003.0300
MLT Nutrition 