42% of coeliac sufferers go misdiagnosed for over a year

Ireland has one of the highest rates of coeliac disease in Europe — yet 42% of people are misdiagnosed before doctors realise patients are suffering from the auto-immune illness.

Some people display the symptoms of the illness for up to a decade before they finally get the diagnosis that will allow them return to full health.

One in every 100 people in Ireland become seriously ill if they eat gluten as their intestine cannot absorb it. If the illness isn’t diagnosed, they risk a serious deterioration in their health.