-written by Rebekka Frazer (Accredited Practising Dietitian)-
Coeliac Awareness Week is 13th-20th March and is aimed at increasing the awareness around the symptoms and diagnosis of coeliac disease. One of the most under-diagnosed conditions in the country, coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition whereby the ingestion of gluten causes inflammation and destruction of the lining of the small intestine.
Symptoms of coeliac disease vary according to the individual but typically include one or more of the following:
- Abdominal pain or cramping
- Diarrhoea or constipation
- Nausea, vomiting
- Bloating
- Fatigue
- Many sufferers will also experience vitamin/mineral deficiencies (e.g. iron deficiency) as a healthy gut lining is responsible for nutrient absorption in the body. Some will also have trouble digesting lactose in dairy products as the enzyme required for this process is also produced from the gut lining.
There is currently no cure for coeliac disease but the condition is treated with a lifelong strict gluten free diet. Sufferers also need to be extra cautious to avoid cross-contamination as even trace amounts of gluten can cause damage to the lining of the small intestine, sometimes taking months to fully heal.
My best piece of advice to anyone who is reading this and thinks that they may be suffering from coeliac disease: please go straight to your local GP and request a blood test for coeliac anti-bodies. If you remove gluten from your diet before you get tested, you will run the risk of the test coming back as a false negative. You need to be consuming gluten on a daily basis for at least 4 weeks prior to getting these tests.