What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac disease (spelled "celiac disease" in the US) is an autoimmune disorder in which consumption of gluten (proteins in wheat, barley, and rye, and sometimes in oats) causes the body’s immune system to attack and damage the small intestine. Coeliac disease can begin at any age, persists for life, and can effect multiple organs.
What is the Treatment for Coeliac Disease?
Presently, there is no medication for coeliac disease. The only treatment is to follow a strict gluten-free diet for the rest of your life. Even very small amounts of gluten can trigger a reaction in your body that can damage your intestines and lead to complications.
What are the Symptoms of Coeliac Disease?
The signs and symptoms of coeliac disease are easy to confuse with other medical conditions. In both children and adults, the symptoms of the disease can be extremely variable – or there may be no obvious symptoms at all. Because there is no standard “picture” of a person with celiac disease, some patients go from doctor to doctor for years, seeking a diagnosis for their illness. The symptoms of celiac disease almost always disappear when the patient follows a strict gluten-free diet.
What Are the Tests for Coeliac Disease?
To diagnose celiac disease, doctors rely on a combination of blood tests, small intestine biopsies, and the body’s response to the gluten-free diet. If you think you may have celiac disease, it is important to continue to eat a regular gluten-containing diet before undergoing any coeliac disease test (blood test or biopsy). If you stop eating gluten and then get tested for coeliac disease, the results may be falsely negative –- that is, the test results might say you do not have coeliac disease, even if you really do. Therefore, if you have started a gluten-free diet before being tested for coeliac disease, you might need to undergo a "gluten challenge" (that is, you might need to eat gluten again) before the tests.
Are Any Groups More Likely to Have Coeliac Disease?
Certain groups are at higher-than-average risk for coeliac disease. In addition to relatives of affected patients, people at higher odds for coeliac disease include those with iron-deficiency anemia, premature osteoporosis, type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, female reproductive disorders, irritable bowel syndrome, and others.
