Latest news with #glutenintolerance
The Sun
2 days ago
- Health
- The Sun
I went to get an allergy test at 20 & was told I was 38 weeks pregnant – I was still size 10 but gave birth the next day
A WOMAN has revealed that she only found out that she was pregnant, the day before she gave birth. Charlotte, 20, had periods throughout her pregnancy and had gained a tiny amount of weight, but was still a size 10, so she just put it down to her new contraception pill. 2 2 She had no other symptoms and only found out about the pregnancy after she went to the GP to find out if she had a gluten intolerance. Charlotte's doctor did a few tests, and, after feeling her tummy, confirmed that she had "gluten belly". The GP then explained that she would have to take a pregnancy test, as the medication used to break down gluten is harmful to babies. Charlotte, from Queensland, Australia, obliged and went to pee in a cup, which is when her life turned completely upside down. The test revealed that Charlotte was pregnant, but she was told not to worry, as it didn't look like she was very far along. She rushed home to tell her partner Dean, and was able to get an ultrasound booked in for that afternoon at the hospital where his doctor parents worked. The ultrasound revealed that Charlotte was in fact 38 weeks and four days pregnant. "At that point I kind of blacked out", she revealed in a TikTok video. During the scan, the doctors realised that Charlotte's placenta was giving up, meaning that she needed to be induced in to labour as soon as possible. "I was on my hands and knees throwing up because I thought 'there's no way this is happening right now", she said. I became a teen mum after having a cryptic pregnancy at 16 - I kept her a secret for a whole month after she was born After informing her and her partner's family about the situation, Charlotte was rushed to a hospital maternity ward. The doctors planned to give her some medication to help her go to sleep, as she had been up for 24 hours by this point, but after a cervical check, it was revealed that she was already 5cm dilated. Charlotte's waters then broke, and less than two hours later, she had given birth to a son. "I found out at 8am on Friday morning, and then by 2am on Saturday I gave birth to my son", she revealed. What is a cryptic pregnancy? What is a "cryptic pregnancy"? By medical definition, a cryptic pregnancy is one that is failed to be detected by medical testing. There may be signs there, but essentially a cryptic pregnancy is one where these signs are not obvious to the woman, or she denies they are there. A pregnancy test may come back negative even after the woman has missed her period for a number of medical reasons. If she does get an ultrasound despite a negative pregnancy test, it's possible a pregnancy won't show up in the first trimester because of problems such as the way the uterus is shaped, or simply because the medic doesn't spend time looking for it if they don't believe it's there. Most people notice symptoms of pregnancy such as tender and swollen breasts, mood swings, fatigue, and nausea early on in their pregnancy. But this could be dismissed by the woman as being caused by something else, such as a condition or diet. There are also cases where someone become pregnant in their early teens before they understand the symptoms of pregnancy. Cryptic pregnancies aren't common, but they're not unheard of, either. Anecdotal evidence suggests that women might not be aware of their pregnancies in up 1 in 475 cases, according to a British Medical Journal report. Some women are more likely to have a cryptic pregnancy than others because they believe it is not possible for them to have a child. It includes those with PCOS, who may have been told it will be difficult for them to have a child, and women on birth control pills, because the woman thinks the pill will protect her entirely from conceiving. Women with low body fat may also fail to detect they are pregnant if their periods are irregular or absent as a result of being so slim. Babies born from a cryptic pregnancy tend to be underweight, and the lack of prenatal care may affect their development. But what about the bump? A women may have a smaller bump - one she and others around her deem insignificant - for a number of reasons. TikTok sensation NHS surgeon Dr Karan Rajan explained: "Most women have an anteverted uterus, [meaning] it's slightly tilted forwards. "But one in five have a backwards tilt towards the spine." The GP explained that for some women, their uterus may remain tiled backwards for the duration of their pregnancy. "This 'backwards growth' could hide any bump," he stated. Other factors that could result in an invisible pregnancy could be "previous surgery, endometriosis and other gynaecological conditions [that] could scar the utroseacral ligament". "These are basically biological anchors which keep the uterus fixed to the spine and inside the pelvic cavities," Dr Rajan explained. "If these are stiff because of scarring, these ligaments can literally hold the uterus back and stop it from protruding too far out." People who are taller also have more of a chance of not displaying a noticeable bump when they're expecting, the NHS surgeon went on. "If you're taller, you'll have a longer torso so there'll be more space for the uterus to develop upwards rather than just outwards," he said, possibly giving the appearance of a small bump. And if you have particularly "well developed" abs, this may make your uterus "develop closer to your core rather than protruding out". "I had 17 hours and 21 minutes notice of being pregnant before having a baby." Despite the ordeal, Charlotte says she and her partner now absolutely love being parents. Her TikTok, posted under the username @charlottemaddison25, has likely left many people open-mouthed, as it has racked up over three million views on the video sharing platform. TikTok users raced to the video's comments section to share their thoughts on the cryptic pregnancy. One person said: "I had a cryptic pregnancy a year and a half ago. "I didn't know I was having my daughter until I was in labour!" A second person said: "My friend had a cryptic pregnancy. "She thought her appendix had ruptured but she was actually in labour." A third person said: "There is nothing more terrifying than this, and I mean NOTHING. "I would perish from the terror the instant I found out."
The Guardian
25-07-2025
- Health
- The Guardian
Wales to roll out subsidy cards to help reduce cost of gluten-free food
People with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance in Wales will be eligible for a pre-paid card designed to help towards the cost of specialised foods. The debit-style subsidy cards will be rolled out in a UK-first this autumn, the Welsh government said on Friday. The scheme aims is to give people with conditions such as coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis access to a wider range of gluten-free food at supermarkets and online, rather than relying on prescriptions from a pharmacy. Money will be added to cards every three months and amount for patients will vary and be regularly new system is expected to be 'cost neutral', the Welsh government said in a statement. The Welsh cabinet secretary for health and social care, Jeremy Miles, said: 'For people living with coeliac disease, following a strict gluten-free diet is not a lifestyle choice but a medical necessity. 'The scheme will contribute to reducing administrative burdens on GPs and pharmacies, while promoting a more effective use of NHS resources.' About one in 100 people in the UK have coeliac disease, but only 36% with the condition in Wales have been medically diagnosed, according to charity Coeliac UK. The disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, that causes the body to attack its own tissues and an impaired uptake in nutrients. Symptoms include bloating, vomiting, diarrhoea, fatigue, and ulcers. In serious cases, it can lead to osteoporosis, nerve problems, infertility, and small bowel cancer. The only treatment for the chronic condition is a strictly gluten-free diet, which Coeliac UK says can add up to 35% to food bills. The new card scheme was tested over five years by the Hywel Dda University Health Board, which covers Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion, and Pembrokeshire. Cherylee Barker, 54, from Narbeth in Pembrokeshire, took part in the pilot and was given £42 every three months towards the cost of gluten-free foods. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion 'I was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2007 and quickly realised that maintaining a gluten-free diet would be costly, with limited shopping options and hit-and-miss food choices,' she said. 'I jumped at the chance to join the pilot. I could try new products without feeling financially stretched and take back control of my diet. The card empowers me to buy the food I want and make better lifestyle choices.' People in Wales who receive gluten-free food on prescription will have the option to continuing with the old system, similar to that in place in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
ABC News
09-06-2025
- Health
- ABC News
New coeliac disease blood test set to enable diagnosis on gluten-free diets
Eating gluten was making Eliza Long sick, but it was the only way for her to get a life-altering diagnosis. Aged 11, she underwent a gastroscopy at the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne, with a biopsy revealing she had coeliac disease. More than 350,000 Australians live with the disease, caused by an immune reaction to the gluten protein found in wheat, rye and barley. Current testing requires patients to eat gluten for weeks beforehand, in what is called the gluten challenge. "Knowing that what I was eating was going to make me feel really unwell was quite concerning," Ms Long, now aged 23, said. And the lengthy process was "confronting for a kid", she said. Researchers say the gluten challenge puts people off getting answers, with up to 80 per cent of coeliac cases remaining undiagnosed globally. Now, there is hope a "world-first" blood test being developed in Australia can bring that barrier down. Jason Tye-Din is the head of the coeliac research laboratory at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI) and a gastroenterologist at Royal Melbourne Hospital. He said a new test being developed by WEHI researchers with Brisbane-based Novoviah Pharmaceuticals could "revolutionise" the diagnostic process for patients. "It's just a simple blood test, they don't need an invasive gastroscopy and, importantly, they don't even need to be eating gluten for it to be accurate," he said. The test involves mixing a person's blood sample with gluten in a test tube, which then signals whether the T cells that cause coeliac disease are present. Dr Tye-Din said it could improve detection of the disease, particularly among those on gluten-free diets who did not want to eat gluten and make themselves unwell. "It's really important to make a diagnosis of coeliac disease because it can lead to long-term health issues such as gut symptoms, osteoporosis, infertility, even some forms of cancer, such as lymphoma." A study of 181 blood samples from people with and without coeliac disease found a "very high accuracy" for the new test to make a diagnosis or exclude it, even in those on gluten-free diets. In one case, Dr Tye-Din said a patient who had been diagnosed 10 years earlier tested negative, allowing a different diagnosis to be made. "This test allowed us to find the right treatment for her," he said. Researchers are working to confirm the test's accuracy across diverse populations and plan to make it available within the next two years. Ms Long said not having to eat gluten for her diagnosis would have been "life-changing".
The Sun
29-05-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Iceland recalls everyday lunchtime staple over health risk fears as shoppers warned ‘do not eat'
ICELAND has recalled an everyday lunchtime staple over health risk fears with a "do not eat" warning issued to shoppers. The retailer are recalling their Daily Bakery 4 Sub Rolls because of undeclared barley, which is not mentioned on the label. 1 This poses a potential risk to individuals with barley or gluten allergies or intolerances. The affected products have a best before date of June 2 2025. Shoppers who bought the affected products and have an allergy to barley must not eat them. Anyone with the product should return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund. Customers do not need proof of receipt. A barley allergy occurs when the immune system mistakenly identifies proteins in barley as harmful - triggering an allergic reaction. Barley contains gluten so it can affect those with Coeliac disease. Symptoms might include diarrhoea, bloating, stomach cramps and constipation. But there are also lesser-known symptoms including extreme fatigue, persistent mouth ulcers, subfertility and unexplained anaemia. Some experience recurrent miscarriage and even unexplained neurological symptoms such as ataxia, which affects balance and speech. Around one in 100 people in the UK are thought to have coeliac disease, an autoimmune condition triggered by gluten intolerance, while others have a lower level of sensitivity. Your product recall rights Chief consumer reporter James Flanders reveals all you need to know. Product recalls are an important means of protecting consumers from dangerous goods. As a general rule, if a recall involves a branded product, the manufacturer would usually have lead responsibility for the recall action. But it's often left up to supermarkets to notify customers when products could put them at risk. If you are concerned about the safety of a product you own, always check the manufacturer's website to see if a safety notice has been issued. When it comes to appliances, rather than just food items, the onus is usually on you - the customer - to register the appliance with the manufacturer as if you don't there is no way of contacting you to tell you about a fault. If you become aware that an item you own has been recalled or has any safety noticed issued against it, make sure you follow the instructions given to you by the manufacturer. They should usually provide you with more information and a contact number on its safety notice. In some cases, the manufacturer might ask you to return the item for a full refund or arrange for the faulty product to be collected. You should not be charged for any recall work - such as a repair, replacement or collection of the recalled item
