Coeliac Awareness Week
12-18 May is Coeliac Awareness Week, but what is Coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease is a condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten. This damages your small intestine so your body cannot properly take in the nutrients you eat. Symptoms can be mild to severe, and can include tummy pain, bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, wind, constipation, tiredness, mouth ulcers, sudden or unexpected weight loss (but not in all cases), and low iron B12 or folic acid. Coeliac disease is not an allergy or food intolerance. The only treatment for coeliac disease is a gluten free diet. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye and spelt. Gluten often also contaminates oats.
Coeliac disease affects 1 in 100 people and currently only 36% of people with coeliac disease have been diagnosed. If your mum, dad, brother or sister has coeliac disease you have a 1 in 10 chance of also having coeliac disease. Undiagnosed and untreated coeliac disease risks the development of serious long- term health complications.
Could you be one of the half a million people who are undiagnosed? Follow the link below to take a short questionnaire to check if you should consider getting tested
In the Northern Trust we have a dietetic led coeliac service which supports adults from diagnosis with group education session, face to face and virtual clinics. If you think you have coeliac disease please speak to your GP about your concerns.
14th May 2025
