Coeliac Disease: Consultant-Led Care
Coeliac Disease is a serious autoimmune condition where your immune system attacks your own tissues when you eat gluten.
Dr Nadir Abbas, an award-winning NHS Consultant and Coeliac specialist in the UK, provides gold-standard diagnosis & expert private care to help you navigate a gluten-free life.
What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac disease is a chronic autoimmune disease. When someone with the condition eats gluten (a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye), their immune system reacts by damaging the villi (tiny hair-like projections) in the small intestine, leading to the inability to absorb important vitamins or minerals.
It is not just a food allergy.
Dr Nadir provides a dedicated pathway to help you confirm the diagnosis and repair this damage through specialist management.
As Seen On
Stages of Coeliac Disease
The most common way to stage Coeliac Disease is using the Modified Marsh Scale, which measures the severity of the damage to your intestinal villi.
Stage 0 (Pre-infiltrative)
The gut lining appears normal, but you may have positive blood test results.
Stage 1 (Infiltrative)
There is an increase in inflammatory cells in the gut lining, but the hair-like villi are still intact.
Stage 2 (Hyperplastic)
The inflammation increases, and the crypts (grooves between villi) become deeper as the body tries to repair itself.
Stage 3 (Flat Villi)
This is the classic stage of Coeliac Disease where the villi become flattened, severely affecting your ability to absorb nutrients.
Common Symptoms of Coeliac Disease
Coeliac disease symptoms are highly varied.
Digestive symptoms include:
- Frequent bloating
- Chronic diarrhoea, constipation, or fatty/foul-smelling stools
- Abdominal cramping often occurs after meals
- Nausea or vomiting
Non-digestive symptoms may include:
- Constant or extreme fatigue
- Unexplained low iron, Vitamin D, or B12 levels
- Unexpected weight loss
- Skin rashes
- Bone or joint pain
Key Causes or Triggers of Coeliac Disease
Coeliac disease is a complex autoimmune condition rather than a simple food allergy. Common causes may include:
Immune System Response
When gluten protein enters the small intestine, the immune system identifies it as a threat by mistake and attacks the gut lining.
Genetic Predisposition
Most people with Coeliac disease carry specific genes (HLA-DQ2 or HLA-DQ8); without these genes, it is highly unlikely to develop the condition.
Environmental Triggers
The disease can be switched on at any age, sometimes triggered by surgery, a viral infection, or significant emotional stress.
The Gluten Factor
Repeated exposure to gluten is the essential trigger; without gluten in the diet, the autoimmune reaction cannot occur.
How Does Our Coeliac Specialist Diagnose Coeliac Disease?
To ensure an accurate and definitive diagnosis, Dr Nadir Abbas follows a strict, gold-standard medical protocol. As a leading Coeliac specialist in the UK, he focuses on technical precision to distinguish Coeliac disease from general food intolerances.
Expert Consultation
A 30-minute private review of your symptoms, family history, and red flag indicators.
The Gluten Challenge
You may be asked to eat gluten daily for 6 weeks before testing; stopping too early can cause a false negative.
Specialist Blood Tests
High-sensitivity screening to detect specific antibodies (tTG-IgA) produced by your immune system.
Precision Endoscopy
A gentle, high-definition camera internal exam to visually inspect the small intestine for damage.
The Gold-Standard Biopsy
Taking tiny tissue samples for microscopic analysis is the only way to confirm the diagnosis officially.
Nutritional Baseline
Simultaneous screening for iron, Vitamin D, and B12 deficiencies to assess malabsorption levels.
Consultant-Led Coeliac Disease Management
Nutritional Health Programme
With the help of a multidisciplinary team, Dr Nadir focuses on managing your common deficiencies, such as iron, B12, and Vitamin D, to restore your energy and immune health.
Long-Term Surveillance
Regular gold-standard checks, including bone density (DEXA) scans, to help prevent long-term complications such as osteoporosis.
Gold-Standard Diagnosis & Long-Term Surveillance by Dr Nadir
Dr Nadir Abbas uses the gold-standard medical approach for Coeliac Disease, combining high-definition endoscopy with precision biopsies to confirm gut damage at a microscopic level.
Diagnosis is just the first step; he also provides a dedicated long-term surveillance programme. This involves regular checks of your vitamin levels, bone health, and antibody markers to ensure your gut is truly healing. This expert, consultant-led oversight ensures you stay safe from future complications, giving you total peace of mind for the years ahead.
Dr Nadir Abbas
MBBS, MRCP (London), ESEGH, PhD
Consultant Hepatologist & Gastroenterologist
Director of Private Gut and Liver Services at House of Health
Dr Nadir Abbas is an award-winning NHS consultant and internationally recognised researcher who brings world-class expertise in gut and liver disorders to House of Health as Director of Gut & Liver Private Services in Birmingham, UK.
He combines expert patient care with internationally recognised research in liver and digestive disorders. Dr Abbas has contributed to British guidelines on the management of liver cirrhosis, published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, and presented at international conferences.
At House of Health, he leads a multidisciplinary team providing personalised care for complex gastrointestinal and liver conditions.
Highlights:
- 14+ years of clinical experience.
- A PhD specifically in Primary Biliary Cholangitis (PBC) from the University of Birmingham, UK.
- Specialist in all aspects of liver diseases, including PBC, autoimmune hepatitis, PSC, Fatty Liver Disease (MASLD/MASH), IBS, IBD, GORD, pancreatic and biliary disorders, alongside general gastroenterology issues.
- Research expertise in primary biliary cholangitis and liver cirrhosis.
- International conference speaker and published author.
- Leads a multidisciplinary team of dietitians, radiologists, GPs, and gut-directed therapists.
- Skilled in advanced endoscopy and comprehensive digestive investigations.
Ready to Protect Your Liver?
Get expert coeliac disease care from Dr Nadir Abbas, a specialist gastroenterologist with 14+ years of experience in complex gut and autoimmune conditions.
Frequently Asked Questions
Gluten intolerance causes discomfort but doesn’t damage the body. In coeliac disease, the gluten causes the immune system to attack and flatten the lining of the small intestine, leading to long-term health risks.
A biopsy is the gold standard for an exact diagnosis. It allows Dr Nadir to look at your gut tissue under a microscope to confirm physical damage (villous atrophy). This is the only way to confirm Coeliac disease and rule out other conditions officially.
No. You must continue eating gluten until all tests, including the biopsy, are finished. If you stop too early, your gut may begin to heal, which can lead to a false negative result and an incorrect diagnosis.
Yes. While there is no permanent cure, it is highly manageable. By following a strict gluten-free diet and attending regular long-term surveillance check-ups with Dr Nadir, your gut can heal completely, and you can live a normal, healthy life.
Even on a gluten-free diet, you need regular monitoring to check for hidden gluten, ensure your vitamin levels are stable, and screen for bone thinning (osteoporosis). Dr Nadir’s oversight ensures you remain healthy for the long term.
Yes. Many people have silent Coeliac disease, meaning they have no obvious stomach pain but still suffer from internal gut damage. Dr Nadir often identifies these cases through blood tests for unexplained fatigue or low iron.
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