Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) patients are battling against the odds long before a definitive diagnosis is made.
A recent ITV investigation has revealed that some Brits have been left waiting for over a decade before being diagnosed with serious conditions such as Ulcerative Colitis and Crohn’s Disease, which are major contributors to IBD. Despite its similar name, IBD is vastly different from Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome (IBS), requiring very different treatments. If left untreated, IBD can lead to more severe consequences as it causes physical damage to the digestive system, unlike IBS.
Sophie Pearce, who waited 14 years for her Ulcerative Colitis diagnosis, eventually had part of her bowel removed at age 35 in emergency surgery, which could potentially have been avoided with an earlier diagnosis. The emergency care worker had been grappling with symptoms for years, including significant blood loss and needing to use the toilet up to 30 times a day.
Despite her symptoms, Sophie was repeatedly told nothing was wrong. Tragically, she is not alone, as research by charity Crohn’s and Colitis UK revealed half a million people are being let down by health services in the same way.
For 1 in 7 adults, a devastating diagnosis is only made when their symptoms become severe enough to necessitate an emergency hospital visit. Many endure years of progressively worsening debilitating side effects before receiving any answers, with 25,000 people diagnosed annually.
The NHS has outlined various symptoms for IBD, some of which should trigger an immediate A&E visit or 999 call. These include:.
- Severe tummy pain.
- Non-stop bleeding from your bottom.
- Leaving a lot of blood or large blood clots in the toilet.
- Vomiting blood or faeces.
- Producing vomit that looks like coffee grounds or soil.
Other more subtle symptoms of IBD can include mild tummy pain, constant fatigue, unexplained weight loss, or diarrhoea lasting longer than 4 weeks. However, if these symptoms persist beyond 7 days, the NHS advises visiting your GP, especially if your weight loss becomes severe or you notice blood or “clear slime” in your stool. Treatment for IBD largely depends on the specific diagnosis and type of IBD you have.
This can range from steroids and medications to surgeries that remove part of your bowel or seal off sections. IBD remains a mysterious group of conditions to scientists as they understand it occurs when your immune system attacks your bowel but it’s unclear what triggers this attack, according to the NHS.
