Why is a medical diagnosis important?

Make sure your symptoms are not another medical problem.

Symptoms of coeliac diseaseA condition where a person is unable to eat gluten as it makes their body attack itself. can be similar to other medical conditions. It is important to know what is the cause of your symptoms.

Minimise the risk of associated health complications.

People with coeliac disease should get necessary medical review and ongoing support. There are serious problems associated with coeliac disease such as osteoporosisA condition where your bones lose bone mass and become brittle. , small bowel cancer and increased risk of other autoimmuneA reaction to a trigger which causes the body to attack itself. disease. More information on associated conditions is on our website.

Understand the gluten-free diet as the only medical treatment.

Following a lifelong glutenA protein that is found in the cereals wheat, barley and rye. -free diet will be a big change to your eating and shopping habits. Without help you may find it hard to choose safe foods and keep a balanced diet. If your child has coeliac disease monitoring their growth and development is vitally important.

Get gluten-free foods on prescription.

People who are diagnosed with coeliac disease by their doctor are able to receive prescriptions for gluten-free substitute products from their GPGeneral Practitioner, or local doctor, which can help you maintain the diet and offset the higher cost of gluten-free foods.

Make sure family members are aware of the condition as they may have increased risk of having coeliac disease.

Awareness of a medical diagnosis of coeliac disease within a family can help identify the disease if a relative also has or develops symptoms.