Coeliac Awareness Week 2022
Coeliac disease effects around 1 in 100 people in the UK, but only 36% of those people are diagnosed (according to coeliac.org.uk). So the mission for Coeliac Awareness Week 2022 is to shine a light on this little understood disease and get more individuals on the path to recuperation, more quickly. You can help boost understanding by becoming engaged and spreading the word at work, restaurants, schools, hospitals – wherever you can!
A little bit about coeliac disease…
During Coeliac awareness week we’d like to educate everyone on the disease. Known more commonly as being Gluten intolerant or requiring a gluten free diet Coeliac disease is a serious autoimmune condition. When people with the disease eat gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley and rye), their body attacks its own tissues. When left untreated, it can cause gut damage and serious wellbeing complications like osteoporosis. The only remedy is a strict gluten free diet for life. But you must keep gluten in your diet until you’re officially diagnosed. You need to be eating gluten to get an accurate result. But the good news is that once diagnosed and, on a gluten free diet, symptoms usually start to improve quite quickly.
What to look out for…
It’s so important to shine a light on coeliac disease symptoms because they’re very wide ranging and easy to confuse with other things. If you or someone you know is persistently experiencing any of the symptoms below, it’s worth taking our online self-assessment, find it here https://isitcoeliacdisease.org.uk/, to see if you should speak to your GP about getting tested:
- Stomach problems, like pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, or excessive wind
- Persistent or unexplained nausea and vomiting
- Extreme fatigue
- Anaemia
- Any deficiencies of iron, vitamin B12 or folic acid
- Mouth ulcers
- Sudden or unexpected weight loss (but not in all cases)
- Skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)
- Tooth enamel problems
- Liver abnormalities
- Unexplained subfertility (not getting pregnant after a year of trying with no clear reason why)
- Repeated miscarriages
- Neurological (nerve) problems such as ataxia (loss of coordination, poor balance) and peripheral neuropathy (numbness and tingling in the hands and feet)
Is it coeliac disease?
Taking the free online self-assessment is the first stage in answering the question. Learn if you, your family, or friends should be tested for coeliac disease – a lifelong autoimmune condition – in just three minutes. With some simple straightforward questions about your health and symptoms, and at the end of the assessment you’ll get a recommendation about whether you should be tested, and information on what to do next. The results will be sent to your email so it’s easy to show them to your GP.
There is no cost and no commitment to completing the self-assessment, but you will be required to set up an account.
Under 16’s please complete with a parent, carer, or guardian. We wish you all the best for the assessment. Whatever the result, we’re here to help you. Find the test here https://isitcoeliacdisease.org.uk/.
Shine a Light on Coeliac Disease
The charitable organization coeliac.org.uk have created the Coeliac UK Awareness Week and the Shine A Light On Coeliac initiative, find out more here https://www.coeliac.org.uk/get-involved/shine-a-light/ and together we can all make a difference for the people in need. You can participate in the #ShineALightOnCoeliac challenges and help spread the word.
* Middleton Gluten Free Batter Flour
Options
Henry Colbeck know that those effected by Coeliac disease shouldn’t be missing out on some of their favourite foods and meals and that’s why we have range of Gluten Free products that is ever expanding. This includes things like Middleton Gluten Free Batter Flour, 42nd St Classic Gluten Free Sausages and Luxury Smoked Haddock Fishcakes to name just a few. You can contact Henry Colbeck at sales@colbeck.co.uk or call 0191 482 4242 to learn more about our gluten free options and products.
* Gluten Free Luxury Smoked Haddock Fishcakes
Spread the word
Don’t forget to raise awareness on social media. Tell your coeliac disease story using #ShineALightOnCoeliac and share the posts to reach as many people as possible! Remember to tag @CoeliacUK so they can support you.
* 42nd St Classic Gluten Free Sausages