Bowel Cancer Awareness
Bowel cancer is the third most common cancer in Northern Ireland and the second biggest cancer killer. Every year around 1,100 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer in Northern Ireland and around 400 people die from the disease. However bowel cancer is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early.
Registered Nutritionist and Internationally-recognised Teacher in Colon Health, Amanda Kearns discusses the latest advances in detecting Bowel Cancer.
Detecting Bowel Cancer
An ever-growing list of people are waiting for a colonoscopy. This camera test looks at areas of the bowel and can help diagnose whether someone has bowel disease.
The Department of Health in Northern Ireland says patients should wait no more than nine weeks for a colonoscopy or sigmoidoscopy. However, thousands of people in Northern Ireland are waiting more than six months for tests that can help to diagnose bowel cancer.
Now with COVID, there is more pressure to see bowel cancer patients as priority, pushing those non-priority cases such as Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) to the back of the queue.
I feel this is a priority time for raising awareness of Bowel Cancer symptoms and seek professional help to best self-manage any gut issues you may be experiencing.
Any issues, no matter how big or small, can be well managed by the individual if they are following the appropriate care. Little changes can make a huge impact on their overall wellbeing and quality of life.
Symptoms of Bowel Cancer may include:
Bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit
Unexplained weight loss
Extreme tiredness for no obvious reason
A pain or lump in your tummy
Specialists in Colon Health
As a Digestive Health Clinic & School, we use criteria to vet clients and signpost them onto the most appropriate services.
- If there is any concern we advise seeking help from their GP for further investigation.
- We advise on appropriate dietary intervention and natural symptom control.
- We trained in Colonoscopy prep in America and Switzerland, helping you best prepare for your hospital visit in a way that is safe and tailored to your needs.
How we can help
We can advise on a Diet Plan and Nutraceuticals to gently and effectively clear the colon, without the intense side effects of intestinal cramping, nausea and diarrhoea that are often experienced with the pharmaceutical bowel prep drinks.
Where appropriate, we would discuss your suitability for Colonic Hydrotherapy to effectively cleanse further through the bowel. That way, the Colonoscopy camera is able to travel farther and gain a better picture of your gut health.
Colon abnormalities such as colon polyps can often affect further into the colon, by your appendix. So it makes sense to have your colon thoroughly cleansed and prepped before your hospital visit. This is a vital step that wastes so many Colonoscopy appointments, after waiting months or years to be seen.
Latest advances in Diagnosing Bowel Cancer
We are well versed on typical Health Service wait lists and protocols here in the United Kingdom and Ireland, but have seen the Gold Standard in other countries.
With all this in mind, we are delighted to see some technology advances here in diagnosing bowel cancer!
Latest Advances in Diagnosing Bowel Cancer
Pillcam is a disposable camera that’s small enough to swallow and powerful enough to help rule out bowel cancer.
You still need to prep your bowel to ensure the pill passes through the bowel easily, so that's where we can help in the run up to your test.
Pillcam is currently being piloted by the NHS and it receiving very positive feedback for patients. This could radically improve our waiting lists and quicken diagnosis and treatment of bowel cancer.
If you have any concerns about your gut health, we recommend getting in touch with our Clinic. We can review your symptoms and signpost you to the most appropriate service or practitioner.
Get in touch today info@innerangelhealth.com
