The symptoms of coeliac disease vary from person to person and can range from very mild to severe. Common symptoms include:

• frequent bouts of diarrhoea or loose stools
• nausea, feeling sick and vomiting
• stomach pain and cramping
• lots of gas and bloating
• feeling tired all the time, ongoing fatigue
• anaemia (you would be told if you’re anaemic following a blood test)
• weight loss (although not in all cases)
• regular mouth ulcers
• constipation or hard stools
• skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis, the skin manifestation of coeliac disease).

If you have any of these symptoms, you can take our online assessment which is a short questionnaire on symptoms and other risk factors for coeliac disease.

Although we cannot recommend a specific consultant / Gastroenterologist, we suggest visiting www.specialistinfo.com or NHS choices for more information on consultants by speciality and geographic area.

Coeliac disease is caused by a reaction of the immune system to gluten. The symptoms include:

• bloating
• diarrhoea
• wind
• constipation
• nausea
• tiredness
• mouth ulcers
• sudden weight loss
• anaemia
• osteoporosis.

Once diagnosed, it is treated by following a gluten free diet. Dermatitis herpetiformis is the skin manifestation of coeliac disease.

The first test for coeliac disease is a blood test done by your GP that looks for antibodies that the body makes in response to eating gluten. If the blood test is positive, your GP will then refer you to a hospital specialist (gastroenterologist) for an endoscopy with biopsy.

In some cases, an endoscopy might not be needed to diagnose coeliac disease. Guidelines published in June 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic recommend that some adults can be diagnosed without the need for a biopsy if they:

• are 55 years or younger
• don't need an endoscopy to rule out another condition
• have symptoms of coeliac disease
• have very high antibody levels (if IgA tTG is at least 10 times the upper limit of normal)
• and have a second positive antibody blood test (EMA or IgA tTG if EMA is not available)

If you have any concerns about testing, the best thing to do is to talk with your healthcare team.

You can also take Coeliac UK’s online assessment to find out if your symptoms may be caused by coeliac disease.

Coeliac disease does run in families but not in a predictable way. Around one in ten close relatives of people with coeliac disease (for example, father, mother, son, daughter) will be at risk of coeliac disease.

So if you have a relation with coeliac disease you should be aware of the symptoms.

Pregnancy holds no greater risks for women diagnosed with coeliac disease than those without, but it is important you follow a strict gluten free diet and make sure you get a good intake of calcium and iron.

It is also important that people with coeliac disease are followed up regularly, particularly at times of stress, such as pregnancy.

Coeliac disease affects all ethnic groups and is common in Europe and North America, as well as in southern Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and South America.

It is thought that one in 100 people in the UK has coeliac disease but only 36% of these people are diagnosed. We estimate there are nearly half a million people who have coeliac disease but aren’t yet diagnosed.

Even very small amounts of gluten can be damaging to people with coeliac disease. Therefore, taking sensible steps to avoid cross contamination with gluten is important.