Charity on mission to ensure Scots with coeliac disease get diagnosis

SOME 32,000 people in Scotland unknowingly living with an undiagnosed autoimmune disease, a charity says. May is Coeliac Awareness Month and a campaign from Coeliac UK aims to highlight the importance of knowing the symptoms and risk factors and encouraging people who recognise the symptoms in themselves or their child to get tested.

It says a simple blood test is the first step, and the earlier a diagnosis can be made, the more likely people are to prevent possible future health complications that could include osteoporosis, recurrent miscarriage and small bowel cancer or intestinal lymphoma.

Coeliac UK says the serious autoimmune condition affects one in 100 people, yet only 41% of those affected in Scotland are medically diagnosed. When people with the condition eat gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley and rye – their body attacks its own tissues. If left untreated, it can cause gut damage and serious health complications but those who get diagnosed often see a swift improvement in physical and mental wellbeing.

In its campaign, Coeliac UK highlights that coeliac disease can be “different for everyone” – with symptoms ranging from gut issues to neurological complications.

The British Society of Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence report that certain groups are more likely than the general population to have coeliac disease.

They include people with Type 1 diabetes, those with Down’s syndrome and people with autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD)

At the age of four, Joshua, 17 from

Edinburgh, began experiencing severe stomach problems following a family holiday. Born with Down’s syndrome and diagnosed with ATD, Joshua’s medical history added layers of complexity to his symptoms.

His mother, Dawn, said: “It all started when we came back from a family holiday in Ibiza. Joshua’s stomach problems were so bad. I took him to the doctors, but they just said that he’d picked up some kind of infection while we were away.”

Dawn became increasingly concerned when Joshua’s symptoms did not improve.

In the end, Joshua was diagnosed quickly thanks to an endocrinology team. It helped him get seen early for blood tests as part of one of his appointments for his thyroid condition.

Dawn continued: “I really want to encourage other people to get tested and raise awareness of the fact that