How do I get diagnosed?
If you feel that you have symptoms of coeliac disease, we recommend that you book an appointment with your doctor and get tested. Once you have been diagnosed you will be able to receive gluten free food on prescription each month, which has superior taste and texture to any gluten free foods available in supermarkets. You will also receive help from a state registered dietitian who will help you manage a gluten free diet in the correct way.
Steps to getting diagnosed:
- It is important to stick to a gluten containing diet prior to getting tested. This is because gluten needs to be present in your body for the test to be accurate.
- The first step to getting diagnosed is an initial screening with your GP in the form of a simple blood test. This test looks to detect the presence of coeliac antibodies.
- If this test is positive then you will be referred onto a consultant at the hospital for a further test which is a biopsy of the small intestine. This will confirm the suspected diagnosis.
- If the result from the initial blood test is negative but the symptoms continue it may be that you are referred on for a biopsy to eliminate Coeliac disease.
