Katre Koppel on celiac disease: "It's not a fashion illness!"

Katre Koppel suffered for years from unexplained fatigue, iron deficiency, and recurring stomach pain, the cause of which remained unknown for a long time. Only when her younger sister was diagnosed with celiac disease did she begin to view her own symptoms in a new light. Now she often faces misconceptions about her illness.

Estonian media personality Katre Koppel has lived with celiac disease for years – an autoimmune condition that requires a strict gluten-free diet. Yet the path to diagnosis was far from straightforward.

Katre was plagued for a long time by unexplained fatigue, iron deficiency, and strangely recurring stomach pain. Doctors could find no cause until her younger sister received a celiac disease diagnosis. This prompted Katre to view her own health problems from a new angle – and eventually it became clear that the condition runs in her family.

One of the biggest challenges, according to Katre, is that celiac disease is often regarded as a fad or a self-imposed dietary restriction. "It's not a fashion illness," she emphasizes, pointing out that a gluten-free diet is not her choice but a medical necessity. Gluten causes serious small intestine damage in those with celiac disease.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition affecting an estimated one percent of the population, yet many remain undiagnosed. When someone has the condition, their immune system reacts to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye – and damages the small intestine lining. The only treatment is a strict gluten-free diet for life.

By sharing her experience, Katre hopes to raise awareness about the seriousness of celiac disease and reduce the misconceptions that patients often encounter in everyday life.