Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the gut to gluten. Gluten is mainly part of foods made from wheat, barley and rye.  The body considers gluten mistakenly as harmful and reacts by inflammation of the small intestine to prevent digesting it.

According to the latest study, the number of people suffering from the coeliac disease has increased significantly over the last twenty years.

The significant increase is likely to be a result of better diagnostics and means that more people with the disease can live a better quality of life by understanding their disease and how they can control it. But the researchers believe that there are still some 75% of cases undiagnosed.

What are the symptoms of coeliac disease?

Inflammation of the small intestine results in poor absorption of food. This can result in deficiency of vitamins or anaemia due to poor absorption of iron. Symptoms in adults also include abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion, constipation, diarrhoea and sudden weight loss.

Symptoms can present as mild to severe. If you have any concerns, the first step is to discuss them with a GP. You can make an appointment with one of our GPs at the time that suits you.

Untreated or undiagnosed coeliac disease can lead to complications in future such as osteoporosis, malnutrition, lactose intolerance or cancer.