Caroline Quentin discusses friendship with Martin Clunes
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“I struggled for years with increasingly bad symptoms: stomach pains, vomiting, bloating, headaches and total exhaustion,” Caroline Quentin shared. “But I didn’t know they were symptoms of coeliac disease. I was really busy and I honestly thought it was stress.” The Men Behaving Badly star continued: “Whether I am in front of a studio audience, or on stage, everything I do requires some level of performance and adrenaline.
“So I put it down to that, and carried on until I was diagnosed accidentally, really.”
Becoming extremely anaemic, Quentin’s doctor ordered a blood test, which revealed she had coeliac antibodies.
Raising awareness about the condition, partnering with Waitrose, Quentin said even “a grain of rice can cause painful symptoms”.
Coeliac UK have a free online self-assessment tool for those who are wondering if they could have the condition.
“All you have to do is avoid gluten and you won’t have any issues. The earlier you are diagnosed the lower the risk of health problems.”
If you suspect you could have coeliac disease, speak to your doctor about any symptoms you might have and say that you would like to be tested for coeliac disease.
Your doctor will then arrange a blood test to check for coeliac antibodies.
The NHS adds: “You should include gluten in your diet when the blood test is done because avoiding it could lead to an inaccurate result.”
While Quentin says the tool is “really helpful”, she added: “Don’t go gluten-free before you are fully tested.”
What is coeliac disease?
The NHS says: “Coeliac disease is a condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten.
“This damages your gut (small intestine) so you are unable to take in nutrients.”
When a person eats food containing gluten, which can be found in breakfast cereals, it can lead to:
- Diarrhoea, which may smell particularly unpleasant
- Stomach aches
- Bloating and farting
- Indigestion
- Constipation.
Coeliac disease could also lead to: fatigue, unintentional weight loss, an itchy rash, infertility, nerve damage, and disorders that affect co-ordination, balance, and speech.
The autoimmune condition causes damage to the surface of the small bowel, disrupting the body’s ability to absorb nutrients from the foods consumed.
A combination of genetics and environment are thought to play a role in the development of coeliac disease.
While there’s no cure for the condition, by adhering to a gluten-free diet, you can prevent symptoms and the long-term complications of the condition.
Before Quentin adhered to a gluten-free diet, she experienced “frequent nausea, mouth ulcers, and skin rashes”.
Quentin, 62, told Hello! she would often “rush to the loo”, and would suffer from “bouts of diarrhoea and vomiting”.
“I’d have a bowl of pasta or a slice of toast and soon afterwards I would be sick,” Quentin revealed.
“The good news is that once you’re properly diagnosed, although there isn’t a cure, you don’t need medicine,” she added.
“All you have to do is avoid gluten and you won’t have any issues. The earlier you are diagnosed the lower the risk of health problems.”
If you suspect you could have coeliac disease, speak to your doctor about any symptoms you might have and say that you would like to be tested for coeliac disease.
Your doctor will then arrange a blood test to check for coeliac antibodies.
The NHS adds: “You should include gluten in your diet when the blood test is done because avoiding it could lead to an inaccurate result.”
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