Coeliac UK dietitian explains the symptoms of coeliac disease and what people effected can do to help their immune system.
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00:00I'm Nicola, a dietitian from Celiac UK, and I'm going to give you all the information
00:06you need to know about celiac disease.
00:11Even though celiac disease is a common condition affecting 1 in 100 people in the UK, a lot
00:16of people haven't heard of it.
00:17There are around 500,000 people still undiagnosed who may be seeking answers about what's wrong.
00:24Here's what you need to know to work out if you could be one of them.
00:29Celiac disease is not an allergy or an intolerance, it's an autoimmune disease.
00:34When a person with celiac disease eats gluten, their immune system reacts and attacks their
00:40body.
00:41This reaction to gluten causes damage to the lining of the small intestine, where finger-like
00:46villi live.
00:47Villi absorb nutrients from food, but in people with celiac disease, the villi become damaged
00:53and flattened, meaning that they are less able to absorb nutrients.
00:57This can result in nutrient deficiencies and lead to a number of other health issues.
01:02Well, in most people, it causes some really unpleasant symptoms, and they are so wide-ranging
01:10it's sometimes hard to spot at first.
01:12The disease affects people very differently.
01:15Some people don't have any symptoms at all, but the most common symptoms are persistent
01:19unexplained gut issues like vomiting, stomach pain and diarrhoea.
01:24People may also experience extreme fatigue as a result of the reduced absorption of nutrients,
01:30often shown on a blood test as iron deficiency anaemia.
01:33Other indicators include recurring mouth ulcers, pins and needles in hands and feet, dental
01:38enamel defects, osteoporosis, fertility issues for men and women, recurrent miscarriage and
01:45blistering skin rashes known as dermatitis herpetiformis.
01:50People will generally have at least one or more of these symptoms, although experiencing
01:53them once doesn't mean you have celiac disease.
01:56If they are persistent, then it's worth taking our online self-assessment to see if you should
02:00be tested.
02:01Very importantly, don't cut out gluten until you've completed the testing process, or you
02:06may receive a false negative test result.
02:13There's currently only one way to treat celiac disease, and that's with a strict gluten-free
02:18diet for life.
02:20These people see improvements very quickly when they're diagnosed and they cut out gluten.
02:25It's crucial to avoid gluten in all forms, even in small amounts.
02:29Left untreated, damage caused by celiac disease can lead to complications over time like osteoporosis
02:35and even small bowel cancer in some rare cases.
02:38This is important even if you don't experience symptoms, as the damage will still be done.
02:43Luckily, most natural foods like fruit, veg and unprocessed meat and fish do not contain
02:48gluten, and the food industry has developed gluten-free substitute foods to give people
02:52that need to live gluten-free some alternative options on the shelves.
02:56Plus, there's a wealth of gluten-free recipes on the Celiac UK website.
03:00The crucial thing is to learn how to read labels and to be aware of cross-contamination.
03:05We've created separate videos on these subjects to help.
03:11After going gluten-free, following diagnosis, the gut should heal and most, if not all of
03:16the symptoms will go away, so no need to panic if you do get a diagnosis.
03:22Apart from the treatment of a gluten-free diet, you'll be joining an amazing community
03:26of people that will support you, and Celiac UK can be there to help you at every step.