Symptoms Of Coeliac Disease

The term "Coeliac" derived from the Greek term meaning "of or in the cavity of the abdomen". Coeliac disease was named because most of the symptoms and effects of the disorder are related to the gastrointestinal tract. The full range of symptoms of Coeliac disease are varied, at the 9th international symposium on coeliac disease the list was about 200 and the damage had occurred in not just the gastrointestinal tract but in all body systems. This damage may occur at any time in the life of an individual who is genetically predisposed to the disorder. A significant number of people show no clinical symptoms, but are still incurring intestinal damage.

Symptoms include but are not limited to:

• diarrhoea
• intestinal bloating or "pot belly"
• intestinal gas
• steatorrhea (fatty, floating and voluminous stools)
• fatigue
• weakness
• lack of energy
• bone or joint pain
• depression or irritability

• dental enamel defects
• anaemia
• folate deficiency
• osteopenia and osteoporosis (bone mineral loss)
• infertility problems in women
• failure to thrive in children
• vomiting
• weight loss or wasting

Dermatitis Herpetiformis (DH) is a related skin condition characterized by blistering, itchy rashes on the back, legs, buttocks, and arms. Between 60 and 80 percent of those who suffer from DH also incur damage to the intestinal villi.