Is it just about having symptoms and switching to a gluten-free diet? Not quite. While symptoms can be a clue, diagnosing Coeliac Disease requires proper medical testing – self-diagnosing or changing your diet too soon can actually make it harder to get accurate results. This guide will walk you through the steps to getting a clear, medically confirmed diagnosis.
Let’s start off with a summary about Coeliac Disease
- Coeliac disease is a lifelong autoimmune disease caused by intolerance to gluten
- 1 in 100 people have the condition
- Symptoms include bloating, diarrhoea, nausea, wind, constipation, tiredness, sudden or unexpected weight loss (but not in all cases) and anaemia
- Once diagnosed, it is treated by following a gluten-free diet for life
I feel some symptoms related to Coeliac Disease. What should I do?
If you have any of the symptoms listed above, you could have coeliac disease. Speak to your family doctor about getting tested.
Before getting tested, do not remove gluten from your diet, as doing so the test will not be accurate. Continue to eat foods that contain gluten such as bread, pasta and cereals.
First a simple blood test is performed
Your doctor will take a blood test to check for tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTGA) and/or endomysial antibodies (EMA). It is possible to have a negative blood test yet still have coeliac disease. Again, at this stage – do not remove gluten from your diet.
A biopsy to confirm Coeliac Disease
Your doctor will refer you to a gastroenterologist for a biopsy of the gut.
This involves passing a flexible tube, known as an endoscope, via your mouth down into the small intestine (this can be done using local anaesthetic on the throat and/or sedation). Small samples of your gut lining are collected and checked for damage typical of coeliac disease.
Why do I need to keep eating gluten?
Testing for antibodies, and a biopsy of your gut are the only tests for coeliac disease. For an accurate result, these tests depend on you eating gluten.
If you are already on a gluten-free diet, it is commonly recommended to eat gluten for 6-8 weeks before any tests.
Speak to your family doctor or gastroenterologist for guidance.
Family Members of a Coeliac Patient
Family members of individuals diagnosed with Coeliac Disease are advised to undergo testing, regardless of whether they experience symptoms, as they may also be at risk.
It is recommended that these tests be conducted every two years.
What about gluten intolerance?
If you are suffering symptoms when eating gluten, the first step is to rule out coeliac disease.
If you get a negative test result for coeliac disease and other possible diagnoses have been ruled out, you may suffer from Gluten Intolerance or Non-Coeliac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS).
It is important to seek medical advice before starting a gluten-free diet.
Coeliac Disease and the gluten free diet can be tough to handle at first, that is why it is important to get properly diagnosed before switching to a gluten free diet. Your test may also result in not having coeliac disease but that you are gluten or wheat intolerant.
Do you have any questions for us? Contact the Coeliac Association on info@coeliacassociationmalta.org.