32,000 Scots struggle with ‘hidden’ coeliac disease

AROUND 32,000 people in Scotland are suffering with undiagnosed coeliac disease, experts have warned.

The autoimmune condition causes illness when someone eats gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye.

The debilitating symptoms include gut problems as well as lesser-known symptoms such as fatigue, mouth ulcers and problems getting pregnant.

The condition affects one in 100 people, yet fewer than half of those affected are medically diagnosed, which is done through a blood test.

Now a campaign aims to provide answers to people with unexplained and often debilitating symptoms.

When sufferers eat gluten, their body attacks its own tissues. If left untreated, it can cause gut damage and serious health complications. The only treatment is a strict gluten free diet for life.

Coeliac UK’s Awareness Week campaign looks beyond the typical gut symptoms and highlights the lesser-known symptoms that can help to join the dots to speed up the path to diagnosis.

Hilary Croft, chief executive of Coeliac UK, said: ‘When someone who has been experiencing coeliac disease symptoms finally gets an answer to the cause, the positive changes can be momentous. There are many symptoms and the condition is different for everyone.

‘We’ve seen some people struggle with symptoms of coeliac disease for decades, unaware that there is a treatment, a medically prescribed gluten-free diet.

‘However, awareness still needs to be increased, with more than a quarter of the UK population reporting to have never heard of coeliac disease.’