Coeliac Disease Education
Session Information
Welcome to our Coeliac Disease Education site for newly diagnosed adults.
Group education classes for adults newly diagnosed with coeliac disease at Christchurch Hospital or Ashburton Hospital are available in Christchurch and online. The sessions are run by our dietitians here at Village Health. You must be referred by your specialist or GP.
These sessions are accessed by referral only. If you have stumbled across this page and you have newly diagnosed coeliac disease and want to attend, you may be eligible. Please discuss with your GP. You may also choose to see a private dietitian.
For more information about Coeliac disease and following a gluten free diet, see Coeliac disease on Healthinfo.
Session Length
60 minutes
Cost
FREE
Location
Village Health, 30 Lincoln Road, Spreydon, Christchurch OR online
Parking
Onsite
What is Coeliac Disease?
Coeliac disease is an autoimmune condition where the body's immune system attacks and damages it's own tissues. We don't really know why this happens.
Coeliac disease can develop at any stage of life. The only treatment for coeliac disease is a life-long gluten free diet.
Gluten is a protein found in grains such as wheat, rye, barley and oats. With coeliac disease, when gluten is ingested, it causes damage to the intestinal lining. The damage to the intestinal lining makes it difficult for your body to absorb nutrients from food. This can cause problems with your digestion (bloating, diarrhoea), cause weight loss and leave you feeling tired. In saying this, some people do not experience symptoms at all.
If you have a first degree relative with coeliac disease, you have about a 10% chance of developing it yourself.
About 1% of our population are known to have coeliac disease.
Booking Information
Fill out the form below. Once we receive it we'll send you a confirmation email. Please check your JUNK email. If the session you've chosen reaches capacity before we process your booking, we will contact you.
This is the ONLY form you need to fill in. You do not need to fill out our practice enrolment form.
Please note that you must be referred to this service by your specialist or GP.