Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Symptoms vary with age, the severity of bowel damage and how much nutrient absorption has been affected.

Typical symptoms

• Diarrhoea
• Gastrointestinal disturbances — abdominal bloating, flatulence, abdominal pain, constipation, nausea, vomiting
• Growth problems (stunting)
• Anaemia

Not everyone has these. In fact, only about 50 per cent of people have diarrhoea.

Other symptoms

• Weight loss, lethargy and tiredness
• Bone problems — osteoporosis and cramps
• Skin problems — dermatitis herpetiformis
• Infertility
• Mouth ulcers
• Numbness
• Behavioural problems — depression, anxiety, irritability and poor school performance

In children and adults

In infants and children, stunted growth, weight loss and diarrhoea are common. In older children and adults, mouth ulcers, fatigue, bloating, cramps and diarrhoea are common. When typical symptoms are absent, diagnosis becomes difficult — which can lead to ill health and life-threatening problems.

Hidden, silent and latent celiac disease

People with a hidden, latent or silent form of celiac disease (see Types of Celiac Disease) are in greater danger, as they are at higher risk of severe malnutrition and non-specific ill health. If it remains undiagnosed, it can prove fatal.

Undiagnosed and untreated celiac disease increases the risk of:

• Type 1 diabetes and other autoimmune diseases
• Liver diseases and thyroid disorders
• Pulmonary diseases such as asthma
• Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease
• Certain cancers

Celiac disease has a wide spectrum of clinical signs, so it is often missed. Only a small proportion of people show classic symptoms; in many it lies latent, with no clear or only non-specific symptoms. As clinicians say: to detect celiac disease, you have to look for it.

Learn how celiac disease is tested →