LIFESTYLE-Magazine-Winter-2016

Aisles stocked with ‘free from’ foods are now a common sight in most supermarkets, and many restaurant menus offer dishes without the main food allergens

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or some people, following a diet free fromwheat, dairy, egg and so on is a lifestyle choice, but for anyone diagnosedwith coeliac disease following a gluten free diet is the only treatment for this lifelong condition. Coeliac disease – pronounced see-lee-ack – is an autoimmune condition caused by a reaction to the protein gluten, which is found inwheat, barley and rye. Coeliac disease affects one in every 100 people in the UK across all age groups. However a staggering 76%of peoplewho have the condition haven’t been diagnosed yet – that’s nearly half a million people unaware that they are livingwith undiagnosed coeliac disease. When someonewith coeliac disease consumes food or drink containing gluten, the body’s reaction is to produce antibodies that aack the lining of the small intestine. This affects how nutrients are absorbed and causes wide-ranging symptoms. Coeliac disease symptoms vary fromperson to person and can bemild or very severe. Themost common symptoms include bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, diarrhoea andwind. However, not everyonewith coeliac disease experiences gut-related symptoms and any area of the body can be affected. Other coeliac disease symptoms can include headaches, tiredness, anaemia, mouth ulcers, recurrent miscarriages, weight loss, skin problems, depression, joint or bone pain and nerve problems. Sarah Sleet, Chief Executive of Coeliac UK, the national charity for peoplewith coeliac disease, says, “Diagnosis remains one of the biggest problems facing people currently undiagnosedwith coeliac disease, with the average diagnosis taking around 13 years. Although Coeliac UK has done somuch work to get diagnosis rates up, there’s still somuchmorewe can do. “We have delivered a huge campaign called Is It Coeliac Disease? that includes a microsite that allows people to self-assess to decidewhether they need to seekmedical help.We have had around 50,000 people use that, andmany of themhave gone on to geing a coeliac diagnosis which is fantastic.” The online assessment tool is perfect for anyonewith unexplained symptoms. In just a fewminutes, by answering questions on their symptoms andmedical history, they can get advice on whether to ask their doctor to test them for coeliac disease.To take the assessment, visit www.isitcoeliacdisease.org.uk. It’s important that anyonewho suspects theymay have coeliac disease continues to eat gluten-containing foods whilewaiting for an appointment or for tests, nomaer how roen they feel. Diagnosis ismadewith a blood test that looks for the antibodies produced in someonewith undiagnosed coeliac disease. Eliminating gluten from the diet before this blood test is done can give a false negative result – that is, the antibodies won’t showup because the person has been avoiding gluten andwill be told they aren’t coeliac when indeed they could be. If coeliac antibodies are found through a blood test, a diagnosis will be confirmedwith a gut biopsy, a simple, day clinic procedure done under sedation. The potential serious long termhealth complications for someonewith coeliac disease not maintaining a gluten free diet include osteoporosis, infertility and, in some rare cases, small bowel cancer.

10 facts about coeliac disease 1. The average length of time taken for someone to be diagnosedwith the disease from the onset of symptoms is a staggering 13 years. 2. There is no cure for the condition; the only treatment is lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. 3. Obvious sources of gluten include flours and flour based foods, breads, pasta, cereals, cakes and biscuits. Gluten is also found inmany favourite foods such as fish fingers, sausages, gravies, sauces, stock cubes and soy sauce. 4. If a gluten-free diet is not followed, the disease can ultimately lead to nutritional deficiencies and is linkedwith osteoporosis, cancer of the small bowel and infertility problems. 5. If someonewith coeliac disease accidentally eats gluten, they are likely to be unwell within a fewhours. Symptoms can include severe diarrhoea, vomiting and fatigue and can last several days and even weeks. 6. Gluten-free food can be contaminated by gluten containing food during preparation. Potential sources of contamination include breadcrumbs in toasters, and the use of utensils for spreading and spooning jam, buer etc onto bread. 7. Coeliac disease runs in families; studies show that if a familymember has the condition, there is a 1 in 10 chance of a close relative developing the disease. 8. 1 in 4 peoplewith coeliac disease have previously been treated for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) prior to diagnosis of coeliac disease, so peoplewith IBS should be screened for coeliac disease. 9. Peoplewith coeliac disease cannot join the armed forces. 10. Dermatitis herpetiformis is the skin presentation of coeliac disease. Source:CoeliacUK

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition caused by a reaction to the protein gluten

Left and above: Gluten is found in many favourite foods.

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