Rebecca Adlington OBE has shared an important health update after she was diagnosed with a life-changing autoimmune disorder
Rebecca Adlington OBE has candidly discussed her recent health diagnosis to raise awareness of the disease. The BBC Sports presenter and Olympic gold medallist disclosed that she is living with coeliac disease, a life-changing autoimmune disorder.
In a video posted to Coeliac UK’s Instagram yesterday, the swimming legend explained: “Hello everyone. As someone newly diagnosed with coeliac disease, I have definitely quickly learned how vital gluten-free prescriptions are for managing this condition. But in some areas, these prescriptions are totally being cut.”
Coeliac disease occurs when your immune system mistakenly attacks tissues in the small intestine whenever you consume gluten. Over time, this can permanently damage your body, which may then struggle to absorb nutrients adequately.
“Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition,” NHS guidance explains. “This is where the immune system (the body’s defence against infection) mistakenly attacks healthy tissue.
“In coeliac disease, the immune system mistakes substances found inside gluten as a threat to the body and attacks them. This damages the surface of the small bowel (intestines), disrupting the body’s ability to take in nutrients from food. It’s not entirely clear what causes the immune system to act this way, but a combination of genetics and the environment appear to play a part.”
The NHS has outlined that coeliac disease can present itself in a variety of ways, including bloating, diarrhoea, and stomach pain as prominent symptoms. Sufferers may also experience seemingly unrelated issues such as fatigue, nerve damage, and itchy rashes.
Those diagnosed with coeliac disease are strongly advised to adhere to a gluten-free diet for life to mitigate these symptoms. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, and rye, which are common ingredients in pasta, cakes, cereal, bread, and beer, among others.
Continued consumption of gluten after diagnosis can lead to severe long-term health problems, including osteoporosis, certain types of anaemia, and even bowel cancer, although this is less common.
The NHS adds: “Even if you have mild symptoms, changing your diet is still recommended because continuing to eat gluten can lead to serious complications. This may also be the case if tests show that you have some degree of coeliac disease even if you do not have noticeable symptoms.”
Rebecca’s appeal came as Coeliac UK delivered a petition to 10 Downing Street urging the Government to protect gluten-free food prescriptions. Although gluten-free foods are available to some patients on the NHS, these services have been cut in several parts of the country.
Leicester, Leicestershire, and Rutland are among those that ended their prescription service for gluten-free foods on February 1. Last year, Dr Nil Sanganee, Chief Medical Officer for the LLR Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: “The ICB has to carefully consider health expenditure for all conditions, balancing it with clinical risk and patient needs.
“For coeliac disease, there is now a much wider range of specific gluten-free products available than previously, in addition to the wide variety of naturally gluten-free food including fresh fruit and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, cheese and eggs.
“It is possible to eat a gluten-free diet that follows the Eatwell Guide for balanced eating without the need for any specialist dietary foods, simply by choosing naturally gluten-free carbohydrate containing food as part of a healthy balanced diet.”
Despite this, Coeliac UK asserted yesterday: “The clinical case for gluten-free prescriptions was made by healthcare professionals including Dr Anita Patel, GP and Coeliac UK Trustee, and Dr Hugo Penny, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals. Becky Excell, Coeliac UK ambassador, also joined the petition hand-in, adding her voice to this important cause.
“…While we’ve made great strides, the campaign continues. We will keep you updated as we work with Government officials to drive much-needed change.”
Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
