With Hollywood again leading a popular dietary trend, this time for gluten-free foods, experts are concerned that ‘self-diagnosed’ gluten intolerance is preventing the accurate diagnosis of coeliac disease—a disease that potentially effects up to 1 in 100 Australians. The message is simple: before you cut gluten from your diet, see your GP.
By Keeva Stratton
According to Coeliac Australia’s Dietitian, Penny Dellsperger, while the symptoms of coeliac disease can be managed with a gluten-free diet, it’s important to note that treatment begins with diagnosis: “Common symptoms can be confused with other health problems, so it’s important to speak with your GP if symptoms are occurring, and discuss the need for a medical diagnosis.”
“We’re noticing a gluten-free fad emerging, with people mistakenly believing a gluten-free diet is a healthier alternative. There are also those who may feel sluggish, bloated or fatigued, who then self-diagnose and eliminate gluten. Coeliac Awareness Week aims to promote the importance of responsible diagnosis.”
Coeliac disease occurs when the immune system reacts abnormally to gluten. Its symptoms include fatigue, gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g. diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, flatulence, cramping, bloating, abdominal pain), osteoporosis, autoimmune disease, weight loss, unexplained infertility, as well as a family history of coeliac disease. Due to the common nature of many of these symptoms (for example, up to 50% of Australian women report feeling fatigued), it often goes undiagnosed.
With the rise in gluten-free diets, it is feared that many people with coeliac disease will not receive a proper diagnosis from their GP. Untreated, coeliac disease can lead to chronic poor health, osteoporosis, infertility, miscarriage, depression and dental enamel defects. There is also a small, but real, increased risk of certain forms of cancer such as lymphoma of the small bowel, so it especially important to be properly diagnosed.
Coeliac Awareness Week 2012 takes place from March 13 to 20, with the aim to raise awareness of both the disease itself and to provide a greater understanding of the role of gluten in our diets. If you’re experiencing any of the symptoms we’ve listed, before you cut gluten from your diet, it’s important to talk to your GP.
For more information on coeliac disease, visit www.coeliac.org.au or phone Coeliac Australia on 1300 990 273.
