As many as 37,000 people with coeliac disease in Ireland remain undiagnosed and services for those who are diagnosed are "woefully under-resourced", the Coeliac Society of Ireland has said.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disease which causes the body to react abnormally to the ingestion of gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Gluten is found in a range of foods, including bread, pasta, biscuits and cakes.

If a person with the disease consumes gluten, their intestine becomes damaged, reducing their ability to absorb nutrients from food. Symptoms can include weight loss, abdominal pain, recurring mouth ulcers, crippling fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting and anaemia.

If left undiagnosed, those affected can develop a range of health problems, such as osteoporosis, nerve damage and fertility problems.

There is no cure and the only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life.

EU figures show that around one in every 100 people has the disease, which equates to almost 50,000 people in Ireland. However, according to the Coeliac Society of Ireland, only around 13,000 people have been diagnosed here, leaving up to 37,000 undiagnosed.

An estimated 7,000 of these are children under the age of 14.

"There is no register for the disease and services for those who are diagnosed are woefully under-resourced. These two facts are almost certainly linked," commented the society's CEO, Gill Brennan.

She pointed out that people who are diagnosed can wait months to see a registered dietitian. Dietitians are the only health professionals that are qualified to assess, diagnose and treat dietary and nutritonal problems. As a result, their role in the management of coeliac disease is key.

However currrently, there is just one public health dietitian covering the entire population of north Dublin city and county, "and that person is not even full-time", Ms Brennan noted.

"Some counties don't even have a dedicated dietitian. People with coeliac disease need to see a dietitian urgently because a strict gluten-free diet is the only treatment for their condition," Ms Brennan insisted.

Meanwhile, the society also pointed out that a further 7-8% of the Irish population has some form of gluten intolerance, which is not coeliac disease.

"For these people, consuming gluten can make them unwell, so it is important that they have gluten-free options available to them. Awareness is the key for people to understand whether gluten-free foods need to be a part of their diet. For people with coeliac disease, however, there is no choice," Ms Brennan explained.

Referring to a new report from Safefood that was published this week, she acknowledged that many gluten-free foods are "proportionately higher in fat and sugar".

The Safefood report found that most people who buy gluten-free products have no medical reason for doing so, and most gluten-free snacks are high in fat and sugar. (For more on this report, click here.)

However, Ms Brennan also pointed out that the growth of the gluten-free food market "has changed the lives of thousands of people in Ireland with coeliac disease".

"They can enjoy a full range of gluten-free foods compared to the past when they had to get their bread from a chemist.

"Yes, they have to be aware of calorie, fat and sugar intake like any other person, but the ever-increasing choice of gluten-free ingredients and products on our supermarket shelves, and gluten-free meals in our restaurants, means that they no longer need to be terrified of making themselves unwell by inadvertently consuming hidden gluten," she said.

For more information on coeliac disease and the Coeliac Society of Ireland, click here. For more information on registered dietitians in Ireland, click here.