A British doctor has told how his daughter’s illness gave him new insights into a disease caused by serious reactions to foods with wheat.
Dr Geraint Preest, who practises in Bridgend, Wales, says he supports claims by campaigners from Coeliac UK that most people with the condition do not get diagnosed.
The charity launched a campaign called Gut Feeling this week, calling for half a million undiagnosed people to be identified.
Dr Preest says doctors are advised to check patients for the condition before diagnosing irritable bowel syndrome – but often this does not happen.
The disease is caused by a reaction to gluten and means that sufferers cannot eat foods made with wheat. It is thought to affect about 1% of the population.
Dr Preest became interested when his young daughter, now aged ten, was diagnosed with the condition.
Speaking at the campaign launch in Parliament, he said he conducted a study in his own practice and found that the number of patients diagnosed with the condition was about a fifth of what would be expected.
He said yesterday that doctors should "have a high index of suspicion when patients present with symptoms applicable to coeliac disease.”
He said: "I believe that the opportunity to pick up these patients – as is so often the case – lies with primary care.
"We need to have a high index of suspicion when patients present with symptoms applicable to coeliac disease, especially if there are other diseases present that are known to co-exist with coeliac disease."
His wife Dr Annette Preest said buying food had now proved an "absolute minefield for the unwary.
She writes: "To have the diagnosis was a relief but the reality of the situation soon became apparent.
"We try to keep life as normal as possible and to equip our daughter with the ability to deal with her condition in the future with as minimal impact on her lifestyle and wellbeing as possible.
“And, of course, we remain hopeful that eventually a cure for the condition will be found."
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