The secret symptoms of COELIAC DISEASE

This year's theme of Coeliac Awareness Week - on from June 9-15 - is 'coeliac disease is different for every body'. Here's why the signs aren't obvious - and what you might be missing

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Bloating, tummy troubles, diarrhoea, fatigue and weight loss are common and well-known symptoms of coeliac disease, an auto-immune condition where the body mistakenly attacks itself when gluten is eaten. This causes damage to the small intestine, making it harder to absorb essential nutrients like iron, calcium and folic acid.

Coeliac disease affects around 100,000 New Zealanders and can strike people of any age after they start eating foods containing gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, barley and avenin found in oats.

The condition requires a genetic predisposition - you need the gene, but its onset is unpredictable. Environmental or physical triggers, such as infections, gut bacteria changes or other immune system factors, may contribute. And while classic symptoms are well known, many people remain undiagnosed because they experience more subtle, unexpected symptoms that can make diagnosis tricky.

Here's what to look out for:

Reproductive and hormonal

INFERTILITY AND MISCARRIAGES

Coeliac disease is linked to unexplained fertility in both men and women, as well as recurrent miscarriages. Trouble absorbing nutrients and an imbalanced immune system could be to blame.

EARLY MENOPAUSE AND IRREGULAR PERIODS