WHEN Debbie Sitton was first diagnosed with Coeliac disease she didn’t know what to do.

After years of suffering with common symptoms of the disease including diarrhoea, vomiting, ulcers, fatigue and feeling bloated after most of her meals, she knew something was wrong.

By the time she was in her early 30s she was suffering with constant colds and some depression, but little did she know that one change to her diet could make all the difference.

Coeliac disease is a serious autoimmune disease where the body's immune system damages the lining of the small bowel after eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley & rye.

There is no cure or medication, the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life.aid her dad is the person who told her to get tested: “I asked my dad ‘how come I never feel bloated when I eat at your house’ and he said because it’s gluten free food. My dad told me he was a coeliac so I might be a coeliac too.”

“It was a sort of hooray moment when I first found out because I could finally relieve the symptoms. But at the time I was very upset because it meant I was going to have to eat a gluten-free diet for the rest of my life. I couldn’t even have Chinese food because there’s gluten in soy sauce.”

Now Debbie has learnt to live with her condition, but she says she found it extremely tough when she was first diagnosed.

“I didn’t eat out in restaurants because I didn’t like having to ask what food was suitable for me. I felt like I was making a fuss and it was embarrassing drawing attention to myself.”

“I’m a lot more confident now and restaurants are more aware of it, so it doesn’t bother me asking about the ingredients or whether they can use a separate area to prepare my food.”

“I’ve had a few reactions when I’ve eaten out but they’re usually only minor from a trace of gluten, like a bit of flour or a chef using the same knife that’s been used to cut a pie.”

One in 100 people in the UK has Coeliac disease and it’s thought that around half a million people are undiagnosed, or have been misdiagnosed with IBS.

Left untreated, coeliac disease can lead to osteoporosis and small bowel cancer.

Being diagnosed with coeliac disease enables people to receive care, monitoring & support, as well as access to gluten-free foods on prescription.

Debbie wants more people to know about Coeliac disease and get tested if they think there’s any chance they might be a coeliac.

“You don’t have to have all the symptoms and it’s really important that people know that.”

“My advice to someone who has the symptoms would be try going without gluten for a week and see how you feel, because if you are coeliac you’ll definitely feel better. Then go and ask to be tested at the doctors.”