Coeliac disease

What is it?

Coeliac disease (pronounced see-liac) is not an allergy or simple food intolerance.

In fact it's an autoimmune disease, where the body's immune system attacks its own tissues.

In people with coeliac disease this immune reaction is triggered by gluten, a collective name for a type of protein found in the cereals wheat, rye and barley. A few people are also sensitive to oats.

In coeliac disease, eating gluten causes the lining of the gut (small bowel) to become damaged and may affect other parts of the body.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms of coeliac disease vary from person to person and can range from very mild to severe. Not all effects of coeliac disease are related to the gut.

Possible symptoms include:

• bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea, excessive wind, heartburn, indigestion, constipation
• any combination of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency
• tiredness, headaches
• weight loss (but not in all cases)
• recurrent mouth ulcers
• hair loss (alopecia)
• skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis- 'DH')
• defective tooth enamel
• osteoporosis
• depression
• infertility
• recurrent miscarriages
• joint or bone pain
• neurological (nerve) problems such as ataxia (poor muscle co-ordination) and neuropathy (numbness and tingling in the hands and feet).

Some symptoms may be confused with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) or wheat intolerance, while others may be put down to stress, or even getting older.

Contrary to popular belief, you don't need to be underweight or have lost weight to have coeliac disease: most people are of normal weight or even overweight at diagnosis.

In babies, gut symptoms may develop after weaning onto gluten cereals.

Other symptoms in young children include muscle wasting in the arms and legs, a bloated tummy and irritability. Some infants may gradually fail to gain weight, or lose weight after previously growing well. Symptoms in older children vary as they do in adults, and can include poor growth, short stature, anaemia and recurrent mouth ulcers. 

Our leaflet describing how to get tested for coeliac disease can be downloaded here.

If you think you or your child has coeliac disease, it is essential to continue eating gluten and speak to your/their doctor for advice. 

Follow the menu on the left of this page for further information on coeliac disease. You can also contact one of our dietitians by email via our contact form, or on our helpline; 0870 4448804 (Open 10am-4pm Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri and 11am-4pm on Weds). 

If you, or your child, are medically diagnosed with coeliac disease or DH, you can join Coeliac UK as a Member. A parent/carer of a child under 16 with coeliac disease can join as a Member on their behalf. As a Member you can receive invaluable help and information about managing a gluten-free diet. Read more about how to join Coeliac UK and the services we provide here.