Coeliac disease FAQs

Coeliac diseaseA condition where a person is unable to eat gluten as it makes their body attack itself. is an autoimmuneA reaction to a trigger which causes the body to attack itself. disease, which means that the body produces antibodiesExist in the blood and are used by the immune system to attack viruses or bacteria. that attack its own tissues. This disease is triggered by glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. , a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Some people with coeliac disease are also sensitive to oats. Dermatitis herpetiformisUsually shortened to DH, this is a form of coeliac disease where the skin is affected with small blisters. is a skin rash found in coeliac disease. Read more about coeliac disease on our main site.

The effect of eating glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. varies from person to person and may last from a few hours to a few days. Symptoms of eating gluten, or being ‘glutened’, include headaches, diarrhoea, stomach pains and lethargy. Ongoing gluten ingestion results in continued malabsorption and associated nutritional deficiencies. Long term problems may include osteoporosisA condition where your bones lose bone mass and become brittle. , infertility problems and small bowel cancer.

The reaction is not the same as an allergic reaction and does not cause anaphylactic shock.

Although we cannot recommend a specific consultant, we suggest visiting the Dr Foster Health website which maintains a comprehensive directory of consultants by specialty and geographic area.

In babies, symptoms may develop after weaning onto cereals that contain glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. . Symptoms in babies include muscle wasting in the arms and legs, bloated tummy, irritability and failure to gain weight or lose weight after previously growing well.

It is thought that 1 in 100 people in the UK have coeliac diseaseA condition where a person is unable to eat gluten as it makes their body attack itself. but a lot of people are not actually diagnosed.

OsteoporosisA condition where your bones lose bone mass and become brittle. is a condition where the body's bones become brittle and are more likely to break. Read more about osteoporosis.

The first test for coeliac diseaseA condition where a person is unable to eat gluten as it makes their body attack itself. is a blood testBlood is taken from someone who is being tested for coeliac disease. done by your GPGeneral Practitioner, or local doctor that looks for antibodiesExist in the blood and are used by the immune system to attack viruses or bacteria. that the body makes in response to eating glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. .

The most accurate blood tests for coeliac disease are: tissue transglutaminase antibody (shortened to 'tTGA') and endomysial antibody (shortened to 'EMAEndomysial antibody - an antibody that is measured in the blood as part of the diagnosis process for coeliac disease. Depending on the laboratory performing the test, one or more antibodies may be measured (see Tissue Transglutaminase)'). If the blood test is positive, your GP will then refer you to a hospital specialist (gastroenterologistA doctor who specialises in the digestive system. ) for an endoscopyAn investigation that looks inside your gut. The endoscope is a thin flexible tube that you swallow. It has a light and a camera and is passed via the mouth and into the upper part of the gut that is affected in coeliac disease. with biopsyA small sample of tissue is taken from the upper part of the lining of the gut that is affected in coeliac disease. It is then examined very closely under a microscope. A biopsy will often be taken during an endoscopy.. Read more about diagnosis.

The blood tests look for antibodiesExist in the blood and are used by the immune system to attack viruses or bacteria. that your body produces when you eat glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. so if you are not eating gluten you will not be producing antibodies and so the result will come back negative. It is recommended that you eat some gluten in more than one meal every day for at least six weeks before testing.