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Symptoms of Coeliac disease
The severity of the disease varies and some people never develop symptoms. The condition may be diagnosed when relatives with coeliac disease are being studied.
In babies, the symptoms of coeliac disease first appear soon after cereals are introduced into the diet.
They include:
- Bulky and pale stools,
- Smelly diarrhoea,
- Vomiting,
- Failure to gain weight,
- A swollen abdomen,
- Muscle wasting, and
- An itchy rash on the knees, buttocks, elbows and shoulders.
In children, poor growth can be a symptom of coeliac disease. Anaemia may be diagnosed after the age of three or four years, due to insufficient vitamins and minerals being processed by the body.
The symptoms in adults develop gradually and include:
- Diarrhoea,
- Tiredness and breathlessness,
- Mouth ulcers,
- Weight loss,
- Vomiting,
- Anaemia, and
- Abdominal pain.
Some patients develop a chronic, distinctive rash called dermatitis herpetiformis.
There is a risk of developing osteoporosis in later life and in rare/severe cases infertility or cancer of the small intestine.
