Persistent bloating or digestive symptoms? Here's what can be checked
Bloating, discomfort, and unpredictable bowel habits are common and usually settle on their own — but when they persist for weeks, it's worth checking for some of the common, treatable underlying causes. Two of the most frequent are coeliac disease and Helicobacter pylori infection, both of which are picked up with a simple blood test.
Persistent digestive symptoms can also affect how well your body absorbs nutrients, which is why we also offer a broader nutritional and digestive panel covering iron, B12, folate and vitamin D alongside the gut-specific markers.
If your symptoms are severe, getting worse, or accompanied by unexplained weight loss, bleeding, or persistent pain, please speak to your GP or call 111 — this page is about the blood-testable factors, not a substitute for that assessment.
Common blood-testable causes
Coeliac disease
An autoimmune reaction to gluten that damages the gut lining, causing bloating, discomfort and changeable bowel habits. Tissue transglutaminase IgA is the standard first-line blood screen — you need to keep eating gluten before testing.
Check with Digestive Health →Helicobacter pylori infection
A common stomach bacterium linked to indigestion, reflux and peptic ulcers. An H. pylori antibody blood test can help identify it.
Check with Digestive Health →Nutrient malabsorption
Ongoing gut symptoms can affect how well you absorb iron and key vitamins. A broader nutritional and digestive panel checks these alongside the gut-specific markers.
Check with Nutritional & Digestive →Iron deficiency from gut issues
Unexplained low iron is sometimes the first clue to an underlying gut condition such as coeliac disease. An iron panel is a useful complementary check.
Check with Iron Status →Panels worth considering
Digestive Health
This panel screens for two of the most common, treatable causes of persistent gut symptoms in a single blood draw.
Nutritional & Digestive
This 15-marker panel combines coeliac serology (tissue transglutaminase IgA) and H.
Iron Status
This panel measures 6 markers to map both your iron stores and how efficiently iron moves around your body.
Common questions
Do I need to keep eating gluten before a coeliac blood test? +
Yes — this is important. Coeliac blood tests are only reliable while you're still eating gluten regularly. If you cut it out beforehand, the test can come back falsely negative.
Can a blood test diagnose IBS? +
No, IBS is usually diagnosed by ruling out other causes rather than by a specific blood marker. Our digestive panels help identify or rule out coeliac disease and H. pylori infection, which are common, treatable conditions that can cause similar symptoms.
What should I do if my symptoms are getting worse? +
If your symptoms are severe or getting worse, please speak to your GP or call 111. A blood test is a useful first step for common causes, but it isn't a substitute for a full clinical assessment.
Get a clear, clinician-reviewed answer
Same-week appointments. No GP referral. Prompt results, reviewed by a clinician.
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