Health Awareness
In this issue
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Knowing the symptoms of bowel cancer could save your life
When diagnosed early, bowel cancer is treatable and curable, and 92% of people diagnosed at the earliest stages will survive. However, too many people (46%) are diagnosed at the later stages when the disease is harder to treat. Bowel cancer is the UK’s fourth most common cancer and the second biggest cancer killer. Most people...
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Refusing to stop ketamine abuse can lead to bladder and kidney failure
Ketamine is a popular recreational drug that has been used for decades. However, recent studies have shown that its abuse can lead to serious bladder problems. Ketamine is a dissociative anaesthetic that has been used in medicine for many years. However, when taken in large quantities, it can cause a range of physical and mental...
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Small, everyday lifestyle changes can contribute to better bladder and bowel health
Healthcare professionals are encouraged to support patients’ self-care. This includes coaching patients with simple lifestyle changes to prevent bladder and bowel dysfunction. In this modern world of new technology, there are so many fast-moving advances in healthcare that support patients, more than ever, to stay well for longer. However, it is equally important to remember...
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How to combat the hidden costs of bedwetting in childhood
Bedwetting affects between 5% and 10% of children at age seven and about 1 to 2% of adolescents. Yet, it remains largely hidden due to embarrassment and general misunderstanding about the causes. Many affected families do not realise that bedwetting is a recognised medical condition from the age of five, and unfortunately myths remain from...
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Successful new drug candidate for patients with bladder cancer – from discovery to the clinic
From scientific discovery to the clinic — a new treatment for bladder cancer has demonstrated efficacy and safety in controlled clinical trials. The active molecule triggers apoptosis in cancer tissue — a beneficial form of cell death. The tumours respond rapidly to treatment, and fragments of the tumour are released, resulting in a reduction in...
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Discover why more people are being referred for bowel cancer tests
Dame Deborah James’ enduring message was to ‘check your poo — it could save your life,’ and it seems like people have been doing just that. Nearly 43,000 people are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year. Yet, sadly, more than 16,500 people die from the disease each year, making it the second most fatal cancer....
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Helpful solutions for functional regeneration of the pelvic floor
Pelvic floor dysfunction (PFD) symptoms, such as incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, bowel symptoms (eg. faecal incontinence, rectal prolapse) and sexual problems (eg. erectile dysfunction and dyspareunia), are among the most common problems that are never talked about. Affecting both men and women, symptoms of PFD are often interconnected and may have different causes, with a...
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The earlier bladder cancer is caught, the better the outcome can be
Bladder cancer is highly treatable if it is caught early enough. That’s why you shouldn’t delay if you spot symptoms, which can include blood in your urine. See your GP. “Let’s be honest,” says Kathryn Chatterton, Bladder Cancer Clinical Nurse Specialist at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. If you have the symptoms of...
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Five self-help tips for leaky bladders
Urinary incontinence is bladder leakage that you can’t control. It is thought that one in four people will suffer with urinary incontinence at some point in their life, and many people suffer in silence because they feel too embarrassed to seek help. Whether you can’t get to the loo in time or it’s exercising or...
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Four million people in the UK would not see a GP even if passing blood
A poll has revealed that 7.5 million people in the UK would be too embarrassed to talk to GPs about symptoms of serious bowel disorders. Generation Z (18 to 24-year-olds) would delay seeing a GP the longest; with one in five (19%) saying they’d take more than a month to see a doctor even when...
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Empowering patients to seek help with bladder and bowel concerns
Up to 6 million people, nationally, are affected with bladder problems — many of those with accidental bladder leakage — and 1 in 10 of us will suffer from bowel dysfunction in our lifetimes. Remaining in optimal bladder and bowel health can be challenging as so many of our lifestyle choices might have an impact...
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Irritable bowel syndrome can take over a person’s everyday life
Over 1 in 10 people in the UK are thought to have irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in the UK. It is not quite known what causes IBS, but there are certain triggers such as emotional stress or sensitivities to certain food. A gut infection such as food poisoning or gastroenteritis and certain medications can trigger...
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Bladder cancer: the fifth most common cancer that you’ve likely never heard of
Over 21,000 people are diagnosed with invasive and non-invasive bladder cancer annually in the UK. Bladder cancer is the fifth most common cancer in the western world. For men, it is the fourth most common. Despite the high number of people diagnosed, bladder cancer currently receives just 1% of cancer research funding in the UK and...
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How a surgical robot is transforming surgery
A surgeon at a hospital in Germany says his patients are benefitting from improved outcomes and quicker recoveries after introducing a surgical robot. A German hospital has seen improved recovery times for patients after a year of using a surgical robot, that enables surgeons to operate more precisely, according to one of its leading doctors....
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Helping bladder cancer patients shape their care through technology
An innovative app has been designed for patients to record the severity of side effects from their bladder cancer therapy and shape their treatment plan. Patients experience differing side effects from specialist therapy for bladder cancer. As a result, regular and accurate monitoring is crucial to support decisions on treatment progression for people with non-muscle...
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The value and differences of water-based probiotics
The way probiotics are manufactured could have an impact on their ability to multiply and thrive in the gut. The live bacteria and yeasts added to supplements are thought to help support the natural balance of bacteria in a person’s gut. However, experts stress an important thing to consider when choosing a supplement is the...
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Let’s put bladder and bowel conditions centre stage
The embarrassment of bothersome bladder and bowel disorders has been a huge contributing factor to the Cinderella status associated with these conditions. When we talk about Cinderella status, we are referring to a lack of awareness or a greater need for attention on a given cause of subject, as it is not recognised as a...
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Do not ignore a bladder or bowel problem
Bladder and bowel problems are very common, but many individuals prefer not to openly discuss what, in essence, is private to us all. However, help and support is available. People are often reluctant to come forward and present to health professionals to seek the help and advice they need. This is commonly due to embarrassment,...
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Finding security in the right stoma product
Firefighter Glen Neilson, 49, from County Durham, has had an ileostomy for more than 20 years after suffering ulcerative colitis. Here, he discusses stoma technology. What was life like when you had your stoma created in 2001? I had just been given the all clear for cancer in my neck when I started having toilet...
