Other health issues

Complications

Due to decreased absorption of calcium, people with coeliac disease are more at risk of reduced bone mass and osteoporosis. There is an increased risk of osteoporosis for women after the menopause anyway, but these risks increase further in women who have coeliac disease, particularly if they were not diagnosed until later in life. For those diagnosed as children and young adults osteoporosis is less likely to be a problem as bone mass tends to improve.

There is a small increased risk of malignancies such as gut lymphoma in unmanaged coeliac disease. However, once a person has been on a gluten-free diet for three to five years the risk of this cancer decreases to that of a person without coeliac disease.

Associated conditions

There is a link between coeliac disease and other auto-immune diseases. Common examples are Type 1 diabetes (insulin-dependent diabetes), and hypothyroidism (under-active thyroid).

Lactose intolerance is more common in undiagnosed and newly diagnosed people with coeliac disease. This is because the gut is unable to break down lactose whilst it is damaged which leads to symptoms such as bloating and discomfort. If you feel you have lactose intolerance it is essential that you seek medial advice as removing lactose from your diet can seriously affect the amount of calcium. Once the gut heals this problem usually resolves.

Coeliac UK has a set of leaflets available on related conditions like lactose intolerance, osteoporosis, dermatitis herpetiformis and diabetes.
The leaflets are free to members (join here) or you can buy them from our shop.

How people feel after being diagnosed with coeliac disease often depends on a number of things such as age at diagnosis, knowledge of the disease, management from their healthcare team and individual health perceptions.

Someone who has suffered symptoms for years may feel greatly relieved that, at last, they can start to deal with the problem, particularly when they find themselves starting to feel so much better on the diet. On the other hand, a teenager may rebel against an imposed gluten-free diet and even adults can go into denial about the problem and risk making their health worse by ignoring dietary necessities.

For most there may be a period when they feel low, even depressed, about having a chronic disease. After adjusting to the diet, which can become part of normal life quite quickly, there's no reason why a person with coeliac disease should be any different from anyone else. A positive outlook always helps in life and that's no different for people living with coeliac disease.

It can help to talk to other people in a similar situation. Many of our Voluntary Support Groups hold regular meetings throughout the year and new members are always welcome - you can find your nearest group here.