This week it's Coeliac Awareness Week also known as 'Gut Feeling Week' and Coeliac UK are doing an absolutely amazing job at raising awareness of the disease, educating people about what symptoms to look out for and stressing the importance of an early and correct diagnosis.
As you may know I was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in February of this year and since then I have made it my mission (together with many Coeliacs across the UK) to spread the word and support others who also have the disease.
It is estimated that 1 in 100 people have Coeliac Disease but only 10-15% of those people have actually been diagnosed - this is shocking! That means there are roughly half a million people out there that are living with Coeliac Disease and they don't even know it!
What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac Disease is an autoimmune disease, not an allergy, not a food intolerance and definitely NOT faddy eating. It is caused by an immune reaction triggered by eating gluten - a type of protein found in cereals, wheat, rye, & barley.
For Coeliacs, when they eat gluten the body's immune system attacks its own tissue, damaging the lining of the gut and preventing normal digestion and absorption of food. Newly-diagnosed Coeliacs are therefore often malnourished because they have not been getting enough nutrients from the food they eat.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms are varied and are different for each person but some of the most common ones are:-
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Constipation and/or diarrhoea
- Anaemia
- Depression
- Vomiting
- Extreme fatigue
- Headaches
- Unexplained weight loss
You don't necessarily have to have any stomach-related symptoms either, for example, some people are more affected by extreme tiredness/fatigue, repetitive infections, swollen glands, headaches/migraines etc, as was the case with me.
Coeliac Disease is often misdiagnosed as IBS as it shares some of the same symptoms but it's really important if your GP thinks you might have IBS you should also ask to have a blood test to screen for Coeliac Disease.
If left untreated Coeliac Disease can lead to further medical complications such as osteoporosis, infertility, miscarriages and even bowel cancer. This is why it is crucial that you get diagnosed.
The only treatment currently is to follow a strict gluten-free diet which means avoiding all foods containing wheat, rye, and barley, this means foods like bread, pasta, pastry, biscuits, cakes, flour etc. The good news is though Coeliac Disease IS treatable and if you stick to avoiding gluten completely you will notice a big difference in your symptoms and eventually over time they will disappear.
There are some great gluten-free products on the market which means you don't have to stop eating the foods you love, such as bread, cereals and pasta - you simply have to substitute them for gluten-free alternatives.
Some of my favourite brands at the moment are:
If you think you may have Coeliac Disease it's important that you carry on eating gluten (for at least 6 weeks) until you have been officially diagnosed - which is usually via a blood test which tests for the specific antibody produced and then usually you will have to have a biopsy taken from your small intestine - a procedure called an endoscopy or gastroscopy. Once your results are confirmed positive for Coeliac Disease only then can you begin to cut gluten out completely from your diet.
Other things to note
Coeliac Disease can sometimes run in families so if someone in your family has been diagnosed with the condition it's important that you get checked out by your GP too.
During this week I have really enjoyed reading other people's diagnosis stories and it's been great to see Coeliac Disease making such a big impact on social media and even making a few appearances in the national and local press. If you have been suffering with any of the symptoms of Coeliac Disease I really would urge you to visit your GP and ask for a blood test for Coeliac Disease - it's as simple as that. Coeliac Awareness Week has really highlighted to me the fact that so many people are still putting their health at risk by failing to get diagnosed - it really isn't worth the constant feeling of being ill and not to mention how it could seriously be damaging your health in the long-term. So, make that change today, listen to your gut, visit your GP and you'll soon be on your way to a much healthier and happier gut.
To find out more about Coeliac UK's Gut Feeling Week click here:
