Coeliac disease: Symptoms to diagnosis and treatment, here’s your go-to guide

Coeliac disease is known as a ‘Clinical Chameleon’ as it can be hard to spot!

Awareness of coeliac disease is growing, and celebrities are helping spread the word.

Zooey Deschanel, best known for New Girl, lives with coeliac disease, while Victoria Beckham avoids gluten due to sensitivity. Kourtney Kardashian and her kids stick to a gluten-free diet for better health, and Nobody Wants This star Kristen Bell is gluten-free as she was found to have a genetic marker for celiac disease. 

With Coeliac Awareness Week 2026 (March 13–20) here, it’s the perfect time to talk about this often-misunderstood condition.

Coeliac disease affects thousands of Australians, yet around 80% remain undiagnosed. This immune condition is triggered by gluten, damaging the small intestine and causing widespread inflammation. Left untreated, it can lead to serious health issues.

Here, we’re shining a light on the facts and why early diagnosis is so important. Keep reading to learn about symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.

What is coeliac disease?

Coeliac disease (pronounced ‘seel-ee-ak’ and spelt celiac in some countries) is a common but under-diagnosed immune-based condition. It commonly develops in childhood but is often overlooked.

For those with the condition, the body’s immune system launches an inappropriate response to gluten, a component of certain foods that is normally digested without issue. Consequently, the chronic inflammation leads to many different symptoms and medical issues.

Recognising the symptoms

Coeliac disease is known as a ‘Clinical Chameleon’, it can be hard to spot! Left untreated, it can cause lots of different symptoms; some severe, and some more subtle. 

Importantly, you can’t tell how ‘bad’ someone’s coeliac disease is by their symptoms. Even without obvious symptoms, inflammation and damage still occur inside the body, making nutrients hard to absorb and affecting a person’s long-term health. Everybody with the condition, no matter their symptoms, needs to follow a gluten-free diet.

Test your child if they have any of the following symptoms, signs or risk factors:

• Persistent, unexplained abdominal or gastrointestinal symptoms (this may include difficulty with toileting)
• Slow growth or difficulty gaining weight (sometimes called ‘failure to thrive’)
• Prolonged fatigue
• Unexplained iron, vitamin B12 or folate deficiency
• Frequent infections, or being generally unwell
• Dental enamel defects
• Type 1 diabetes
• Autoimmune thyroid disease
• Down’s syndrome
• Turner syndrome
• First-degree relatives with coeliac disease
• Behavorial issues that feel extreme / out of the ordinary

Diagnosing coeliac disease in children

A simple blood test for coeliac disease (also called ‘coeliac serology’) is done to measure the level of certain antibodies (part of the body’s defence system). Your local GP can organise this for you.

A combination of two or more tests are usually undertaken rather than just one alone, as antibody tests can be less sensitive in children.

When your child’s coeliac antibody levels rise above the normal range, this may indicate they have coeliac disease. However, do not rely solely on blood test results to diagnose coeliac disease; a Paediatric Gastroenterologist must provide further input. Moreover, even if the blood test is positive, do not start a gluten-free diet yet, as it is possible to have a positive blood test without actually having coeliac disease.

A paediatric gastroenterologist  should confirm the diagnosis. This may involve taking biopsies from their small bowel.  This sounds invasive but is a very simple and quick procedure.

Your child must keep eating gluten regularly during their investigations. Removing gluten from their diet too early can make blood test and biopsy results inaccurate or hard to interpret.

Managing coeliac disease

There is no ‘cure’ for coeliac disease. But it can be successfully managed by removing gluten (found in the grains wheat, rye, barley and oats) from the diet.

A gluten free diet can be hard! Especially at first. Changes to food choices, eating habits and cooking methods are often required, as is the need to upskill in areas of labelling reading and navigating social outings. While these changes may seem overwhelming at first, you are not alone.

Coeliac Australia has resources galore and there is an amazing community of people who have walked this path before you and are ready to support you and your family on your journey.

Also, build a trusted team of healthcare professionals to ensure you receive support and meet your treatment goals.