What you need to know
Coeliac disease is a genetic condition that has a wide range of symptoms impacting on quality of life and general wellbeing
Proper diagnosis is important to effectively manage the condition and rule out more sinister conditions with similar symptoms
Diagnosis should be through your doctor (not natural therapists) and you should continue to eat gluten for at least 6 weeks prior to and throughout the testing period.
Managing the condition through diet after diagnosis can improve your quality of life and general wellbeing
If you even suspect you might have coeliac disease, see your GP today
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Coeliac Australia
What are the symptoms of coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease with a wide range of non-specific symptoms. Symptoms can be mild or severe, but a number of serious health consequences can result if coeliac disease is left untreated. Symptoms often lead to a reduction in quality of life and general wellbeing. They include, but are not limited to the following:
Constipation or diahorrhea
Abdominal discomfort including nausea, flatulence and bloating
Lack of energy and general tiredness
Iron deficiency and other vitamin/mineral deficiencies
Bone and joint pain
Failure to thrive in children
These symptoms occur because of gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. In people with coeliac disease, the body’s immune system reacts to gluten, causing inflammation and damage to the small bowel lining. This damage impairs the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from food.
The average time between onset of symptoms and official diagnosis is 10 years. If left untreated, coeliac disease can lead to serious long term health complications including osteoporosis, infertility/miscarriage and some cancers, including lymphoma. It is also associated with an increased risk of other autoimmune diseases, like type 1 diabetes. Fortunately, adopting a strict gluten free diet allows the small bowel to heal and reduces your risk of long term complications.
Why is it important to be correctly diagnosed?
Correct diagnosis is important for a number of reasons:
Proper diagnosis rules out more sinister conditions with similar symptoms (e.g. ovarian cancer or bowel cancer).
Coeliac disease is a genetic condition passed down through blood relatives, and so your diagnosis may have implications for your extended family.
The gluten-free diet required by coeliacs is not a fad and must be adhered to strictly. Your doctor will educate you about the condition upon diagnosis
Diagnosis will prompt your doctor to screen you for related health complications that may require treatment (e.g. type 1 diabetes, osteoporosis).
If you are experiencing unexplained fertility issues or recurrent miscarriage, proper diagnosis and management of coeliac disease may improve your chances of a successful pregnancy.
Diagnosis through your doctor will generally prompt a referral to a dietitian, who can guide you through the transition to a balanced gluten free diet.
Vaccines and other medical therapies are being investigated by researchers. To be eligible for these treatments when they become available, it is expected that you will require evidence of a biopsy proven diagnosis.
How is it diagnosed?
Diagnosis generally starts with a visit to your local GP to discuss your symptoms. If you have family members with diagnosed coeliac disease, it is important to let your doctor know. And if the GP doesn’t mention coeliac, don’t be afraid to ask if they think it might be a possibility.
It is important to note that if you suspect you might have coeliac disease, you SHOULD NOT cut gluten out of your diet prior to seeing your GP. The tests below only work when you are eating gluten.
If the GP suspects coeliac disease, they will order some simple blood tests, the results of which should take 2-3 days. These tests alone cannot diagnose coeliac disease, but they can indicate whether you are likely or unlikely to have the condition. If the GP suspects it is likely, you will be referred for a small bowel biopsy.
The small bowel biopsy is a day procedure performed by a gastroenterologist that involves a light anaesthetic. It is essential for correct diagnosis, and cannot be replaced by guesswork or alternative remedies.
Genetic tests may be performed when diagnosis is unclear or in cases where a gluten free diet has already been started. It is important to note that a gene test cannot be used to diagnose coeliac disease, but it can rule it out if certain genes are not present. If the genes associated with coeliac disease are present, then the above steps for testing need to be followed, including a diet containing gluten for a minimum period of 6 weeks.
