Coeliac disease: Just the facts

Someone with coeliac disease can't eat foods that have a substance called gluten in them.

If they do eat foods containing gluten it might cause stomach upset or make them sick. 

The Facts

Coeliac disease is a condition where the immune system attacks the body’s tissues when gluten is consumed. This damages the gut (small intestine), so the body cannot properly take in nutrients. 

Coeliac disease can cause a range of symptoms, including diarrhoea, abdominal pain and bloating. 

Coeliac disease is caused by an adverse reaction to gluten, which is a dietary protein found in 3 types of cereal: 

• wheat 
• barley 
• rye

Gluten is found in any food that contains those cereals, including: 

• pasta 
• cakes 
• breakfast cereals 
• most types of bread 
• certain types of sauces 
• some ready meals 

 In addition, most beers are made with barley and contain gluten. 

Symptoms of coeliac disease

Eating foods that contain gluten can trigger a range of gut symptoms, such as: 

• diarrhoea, which may smell particularly unpleasant 
• stomach aches 
• bloating and farting (flatulence) 
• indigestion 
• constipation 

Coeliac disease can also cause more general symptoms, including: 

• tiredness (fatigue) as a result of not getting enough nutrients from food (malnutrition) 
• unintentional weight loss 
• an itchy rash  
• problems getting pregnant (infertility) 
• nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy) 
• disorders that affect co-ordination, balance and speech (ataxia) 

 Children with coeliac disease may not grow at the expected rate and may have delayed puberty. 

What causes coeliac disease?

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition. This is where the immune system (the body’s defence against infection) mistakenly attacks healthy tissue. 

In coeliac disease, the immune system mistakes substances found inside gluten as a threat to the body and attacks them. 

This damages the surface of the small bowel (intestines), disrupting the body’s ability to take in nutrients from food. 

It’s not entirely clear what causes the immune system to act this way, but a combination of genetics and the environment appear to play a part. 

Treating coeliac disease

There’s no cure for coeliac disease, but following a gluten-free diet should help control symptoms and prevent long-term complications. 

Even if someone has mild symptoms, changing their diet is still recommended because continuing to eat gluten can lead to serious complications. This may also be the case if tests show that someone has some degree of coeliac disease, even with no noticeable symptoms. 

It’s important to ensure that a gluten-free diet is healthy and balanced. 

An increase in the range of available gluten-free foods in recent years has made it possible to eat both a healthy and varied gluten-free diet. 

Who’s affected?

Coeliac disease is a condition that affects at least 1 in every 100 people in the UK. It can develop at any age. 

But some experts think this may be underestimated because milder cases may go undiagnosed or be misdiagnosed as other digestive conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). 

Reported cases of coeliac disease are higher in women than men. 

People with certain conditions, including type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, Down’s syndrome and Turner syndrome, have an increased risk of getting coeliac disease. 

Diagnosing coeliac disease

Routine testing for coeliac disease is not done in England. 

Testing is usually only recommended for people who have symptoms, or who have an increased risk of developing coeliac disease, such as those with a family history of the condition. 

First-degree relatives of people with coeliac disease should be tested, as parents, brothers, sisters and children of people with coeliac disease are at increased risk of developing the condition. 

Read about diagnosing coeliac disease for more information about when testing for coeliac disease should be done. 

Help and support

Coeliac UK is a UK charity for people with coeliac disease. 

Its website has useful resources, including information about a gluten-free diet, local groups, volunteering and ongoing campaigns. 

You can also call the Coeliac UK helpline 0333 332 2033, open Monday to Friday from 10am to 4pm. 

How to get help

If you have any more questions on this area or would like to speak to somebody about this topic, have a look at the links or search for your local services in the blue box below. Alternatively you can always contact your school nurse.

• w: Coeliac UK
  
• w: NHS - Coeliac disease