The symptoms of coeliac disease can vary widely from person to person. A method that is often used to classify possible symptoms of coeliac disease defines three types of the condition, based on the associated symptoms. These are:
- silent coeliac disease
- minor coeliac disease
- major coeliac disease
These are described in more detail below.
Silent coeliac disease
If you have silent coeliac disease, you will have no symptoms or very mild symptoms. However, damage to your small intestine can still occur, as well as long-term complications, such as osteoporosis (thinning of the bones) or failure to grow at the normal rate.
Minor coeliac disease
In you have minor coeliac disease, you may experience a wide range of minor symptoms. The symptoms are often intermittent (they stop and then start again), and sometimes they can appear unrelated to your diet and digestive symptoms.
Symptoms of minor coeliac disease can include:
- indigestion
- mild abdominal (stomach) pain
- bloating
- occasional changes in bowel habit, such as episodes of mild diarrhoea or constipation
- anaemia (tiredness, breathlessness and an irregular heartbeat, caused by a lack of iron in the blood)
- loss of appetite
- weight loss
- tingling and numbness in your hands and feet (neuropathy)
- vomiting (usually only affects children)
- some loss of hair (alopecia, usually only affects adults)
Major coeliac disease
In you have major coeliac disease, as well as the symptoms listed above, you may experience more severe symptoms that are caused by your digestive system not properly digesting food (malabsorption).
Symptoms of major coeliac disease include:
- diarrhoea, which can often suddenly occur during the night, resulting in incontinence
- weight loss
- stomach cramps
- muscle spasms
- swelling of your hands, feet, arms and legs, caused by a build-up of fluid (oedema)
Your stools (faeces) may also contain abnormally high levels of fat (steatorrhoea), which can make them foul smelling, greasy and frothy. Your stools may also be difficult to flush down the toilet.
If coeliac disease is left untreated, being unable to digest food in the normal way could cause you to become malnourished.
See the Health A-Z topic about Malnourishment for more information.
