Sally Marchini had only one symptom to suggest she could have coeliac disease . Login or signup to continue reading "My iron levels were a bit low and, because of that, my doctor checked me for it," Ms Marchini said. "It came back positive.
" That was about 20 years ago. "I hadn't heard of coeliac disease at that stage. It was well before I was a dietitian," she said.
"So for people wondering if they have coeliac disease, it's not always symptom driven." Nonetheless, Ms Marchini said there were "more than 200 symptoms related to the disease". "It's a condition of inflammation that affects the body all over," she said, adding those with the disease don't absorb nutrients well.
Once she was diagnosed, she "immediately went on a strict gluten-free diet ". "That's when I decided to go to university and study to be a dietitian for my own health and to help others," she said. Coeliac Australia says about one in 70 Australians have the disease, but only 20 per cent are diagnosed.
It lists symptoms as including persistent gastrointestinal problems, prolonged fatigue, weakness and lethargy, mouth ulcers and unexplained weight loss. Long-term health problems such as osteoporosis, liver disease, infertility and other autoimmune conditions can occur if the disease is not diagnosed. Unexplained infertility or recurrent miscarriage are also linked to coeliac disease.
Ms Marchini will give a presentation on nutrition and fertility on Sunday at the Coeliac Australia Gluten-Free Expo in Randwi.