In brief
An autoimmune disease triggered by gluten that damages the small bowel. It cannot be cured, but it is managed with a strict, lifelong gluten-free diet.
- A parent, sibling or child of someone with coeliac disease has a 1 in 10 chance of developing it too.
- A negative genetic test can rule out coeliac disease, but a positive one cannot confirm it.
- Early-onset osteoporosis is one reason to ask your doctor about testing.
How it works
Some people have severe symptoms, but up to half of people with coeliac disease have no symptoms while their bowel is still being damaged. It can reduce the absorption of nutrients, causing problems such as iron-deficiency anaemia and vitamin deficiencies, and it raises the risk of bowel lymphoma and fertility problems.
Blood tests for antibodies to gluten are a screening test only, and a gastroscopy with a small bowel biopsy confirms the diagnosis. Do not stop eating gluten until you have been officially diagnosed. An accredited practising dietitian can help you keep to a gluten-free diet.
Connections
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Coeliac disease can cause
Bloating and passing wind can be symptoms of coeliac disease.
Sources: healthdirect Australia, Coeliac disease; healthdirect Australia, Bloating
Coeliac disease can reduce the absorption of nutrients and cause iron-deficiency anaemia.
Coeliac disease is linked with
If you think gluten affects you, do not stop eating it until coeliac disease has been tested for and officially diagnosed.
Coeliac disease is measured by
Antibody blood tests screen for coeliac disease, and a small bowel biopsy confirms it.
Coeliac disease can result from
In coeliac disease, the immune system reacts to gluten and damages the small bowel.
Lab tests
Sources
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Summarised from healthdirect. Sources read on 16 October 2026. General education only, not medical advice. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us through the HuBu-Intel contact page.