Thousands in Scotland living with undiagnosed disease as sufferers warn of symptoms
11.05.2024 - 04:03
/ dailyrecord.co.uk
An estimated 32,000 in Scotland are unknowingly living with with an undiagnosed autoimmune disease that can cause serious consequences if left untreated.
Coeliac disease is a autoimmune condition affecting 1 in 100 people yet only 41% of Scots are medically diagnosed. When people with it eat gluten - a protein found in wheat, barley and rye - their body attacks its own tissues.
Now Scots are being urged to know the symptoms of the disease by charity Coeliac UK so they can get tested.
One of the challenges is that symptoms can be different for everyone, ranging from gut issues to neurological complications. And some people are more prone to others.
People with type 1 diabetes are on average six times more likely to have coeliac disease compared with the general population. This increases to 10 times for children, with symptoms such as stomach pain, diarrhoea, nausea and vomiting.
Those with Down’s syndrome are also more likely to have the condition. As symptoms can be so wide ranging, they are often attributed them to another cause, or in the case of patients with existing conditions, it can be overlooked.
Tim Dring, aged 55, from Aberdeen, began experiencing a host of symptoms, including pins and needles in his hands and feet, pain in his gut, stomach and an unsettling brain fog - all of which led to anxiety and social withdrawal.
Yet, his journey was fraught with frustration as he encountered misdiagnosis. His symptoms were initially brushed off with a diagnosis of a pulled ligament, and later labelled with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Feeling unheard and neglected, Tim opted to seek a new doctor.
He said: “I was willing and ready to accept that this was life, and I reflect now and get upset about it because it was