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How to recognise and treat Coeliac Disease

 There are 53,000 people with Coeliac Disease in the UK but there are almost ten times as many people who have the disease and are unaware of their condition.

Find out if you could be suffering from Coeliac Disease - and how to beat it - with our guide below.

How can I spot it?

The main symptoms for Coeliac Disease are diarrhoea, weight loss, bloating, abdominal cramps and sometimes vomiting. But less severe symptoms include tiredness and fatigue, mouth ulcers and breathlessness.

Many of the symptoms are similar to other conditions such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. This is what makes the disease so hard to diagnose.

Tracey Newton, a spokeswoman for Coeliac UK, says, 'Doctors do not know enough about the condition, so it is not the first thing they associate with the symptoms. People could be going back and forth to their doctors without getting the disease properly diagnosed.

'If the doctor is not aware of Coeliac Disease, it could be diagnosed as something else and patients will not get the care they need.'

If you think you could be suffering from the condition, raise the possibility with your doctor if they have not already suggested it. They should then take a blood sample from you to help diagnose the disease.

The blood test is checking for the gluten antibodies in your system - the chemicals in the blood that cause the intestines to overreact to gluten.

Gemma Willis, dietician for Coeliac UK, advises not to switch to a wheat-free of gluten-free diet before having this blood test.

She says that if you start cutting gluten out of your diet, your body will not be producing the antibodies that trigger the irritation in your intestines. This means they will not show up in your blood test and it may take even longer to have the disease officially diagnosed.

If your blood test reveals that you do have the antibodies, you will be referred to your local hospital for further tests. This time they will be checking to see if your gut has been damaged by the disease.

This is done with a piece of equipment called an endoscope. The procedure is carried out in one day, usually by a gastroenterologist in the outpatients' department of your local hospital.

You will be mildly sedated, and then a tiny telescope is passed down your throat and into the small intestine. Doctors will be able to see on a television if the lining of your gut has been damaged.

They may also take a tiny sample of your intestine to examine it closely under a microscope. This is called a biopsy. There is usually a device attached to the telescope that allows doctors to collect samples of your intestine.

If the tests show that you do have Coeliac Disease, you will be referred to a specialist and/or a dietician who will advise you on how to live with the disease.

How can I treat it?

Unfortunately there is no cure for Coeliac Disease, but it is completely treatable through your diet. This also means you do not need any medication or invasive surgery.

You will have to stick to a gluten-free diet, which means avoiding obvious products such as bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits and pastries.

However, gluten is also hidden in some unlikely foods. It can be found in chocolate as

Sticking to a gluten free diet
means avoiding sandwiches

a thickening agent, in sausages to help bind the ingredients together, in rye crispbreads and even in beer!

However, you can eat potatoes, rice, cornflour, all plain meat, fish, vegetables, and nuts and seeds. Coeliac UK also produce a directory of more than ten thousand items of food and drink that you can eat safely. See our section on 'More Advice' for how to get hold of the directory.

Once you have started the gluten free diet, you should feel better in a couple of weeks as your symptoms start to subside. Your intestines will also return to normal within six months to a year.

If you do not stick to a gluten-free diet, you can seriously risk your health. As well as malnutrition and osteoporosis, severe symptoms of Coeliac Disease include infertility, depression and bowel cancer because your damaged intestines are more susceptible to cancer-causing agents in the body.

Specialists say this is why it is so important to have the disease properly recognised.

'It is a medically diagnosed condition, not just a 'fad' diet to cut out wheat. If you do not stick to a gluten-free diet, you are risking your long-term health,' says Gemma Willis.

Some coeliacs may also be prescribed vitamin and mineral supplements because they are so deficient in vital nutrients. This will only happen until their intestines return to normal.

You should have an annual review with your dietician to assess the state of your health. Coeliac UK says this yearly appointment encourages people to stick to the gluten-free diet so they stay healthier for longer.

More Advice

Most major supermarkets now stock a range of foods that are wheat, or gluten, free. To find out what they are, you can write to supermarkets or the manufacturers themselves for a 'Free from...' list.

This is list of all the products they carry that are 'free from' wheat or dairy produce. Ask in your local branches for the head office address to write to.

Allergy UK also has a 'shopping list' for coeliacs and for those with other allergies and intolerances. Visit their website on www.allergyfoundation.com or call the helpline on 020 8303 8583.

For more information and support, you can also join Coeliac UK. Visit their website on www.coeliac.co.uk or write to PO Box 220, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP11 2HY. The food and drink directory (free for members) is available from the same address.