DR ANTON EMMANUEL is a consultant gastroenterologist at University College London Hospitals and is a spokesperson for the British Society of Gastroenterology
1 The over protective gut
The largest section of your immune system is located in your gut, fighting off nasties hidden in our food and drink. But if it becomes overactive, it turns its attention on itself, causing inflammation. The resulting disorders can include Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition due to a reaction to gluten, the protein in wheat, barley and rye, also falls into this category. They’re all primarily genetic conditions, and symptoms can include abdominal pain, weight loss, diarrhoea and blood loss.
See your GP for a very simple stool and blood test, which will signal whether further investigation is needed. With Crohn’s and colitis, most people find a combination of prescription medication, complementary therapy (hypnotherapy for pain relief, for example) and diet help symptoms. People with coeliac disease need to cut gluten from their diet.