Coeliac Disease

Coeliac disease is believed to be one of the most common gastrointestinal diseases found in Caucasians today. It can develop in infancy, childhood or at any time during adulthood. It appears to affect more women than men, and tends to be hereditary.

When gluten is eaten by a person with coeliac disease, a series of reactions occur in the gut that damage and flatten the lining of the small intestine. The lining is usually made up of small finger-like ridges, called villi, which help the body absorb the nutrients from the food eaten. The flattening of the villi is called villous atrophy. When this occurs, less of the food eaten can be absorbed into the body. Coeliac disease is treated by following a lifelong gluten-free diet.

Symptoms

Symptoms can vary depending on age, sensitivity to gluten, and degree of impairment of nutrient absorption. Traditionally the most common symptoms are weight loss or failure to thrive in young babies, diarrhoea, reflux, abdominal cramping, bloating, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, muscle wasting, and malabsorption of virtually all nutrients.

Today many adults and children do not present with these severe signs of coeliac disease, dominated by gastrointestinal complaints. It is quite a challenge for doctors to diagnose, since constipation, headaches, sub-optimal school performance, mild gut upsets, low blood iron, fatigue, multiple miscarriages, osteoporosis, bone fractures or general malaise may be the only clues to suggest the presence of the disease.

Diagnosis

Although there are a number of blood tests to screen for coeliac disease, only a small bowel biopsy can diagnose the condition. If you suspect you have coeliac disease, consult your doctor before making any dietary changes.

Do not experiment with a gluten-free diet as you must be regularly eating foods that contain gluten when the blood tests and small bowel biopsy are carried out.

Associated Conditions

The number of people being diagnosed with coeliac disease has increased in the last five to ten years because the blood tests allow people to be screened more easily. As a result, people with mild symptoms and even some who appear to have no symptoms at all are currently being diagnosed with coeliac disease.

Those with insulin-dependent diabetes, thyroid disease or osteoporosis have been found to be more likely to have coeliac disease than others in the population. It has been noted that in some people insulin and thyroid medications are better absorbed, and often the doses can be reduced after following a gluten-free diet for some time.

Taken from Healthy Food For Life
Info by Kim Faulkner- Hogg (BSc, Grad Dip Nutr & Diet)