Coeliac Disease
What is Coeliac disease?
It is the development of a permanent intolerance of gluten, the proteins found in wheat, and similar proteins in rye, barley and oats.
In a Coeliac, gluten damages the lining of the small intestine, which greatly reduces the ability of the gut to absorb adequate nutrients from food.
Coeliac symptoms can manifest themselves at any age. In the 1950s it was thought to be almost exclusively a childhood condition, but now it is recognised that it affects many more adults than children.
Coeliac disease used to be rare, but more and more doctors are beginning to recognise the disorder in their patients. The reported incidence is I in I 000 people but may be higher It is also known that the condition runs in families.