Cancer occurs when cells in our body multiply out of control, producing lots of abnormal cells. These abnormal cells don't function like they should, and can invade tissues or organs, and can sometimes spread to other parts of the body. Bowel cancer is also known as colorectal cancer, and it includes cancer of the colon (which is the large intestine) and cancer of the rectum (which is the last few inches of the large intestine before it turns into the anus). It is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, affecting both men and women, and is more likely as we age. There are certain genetic and lifestyle factors that can increase your risk - we'll talk you through them. Symptoms of bowel cancer include: blood in the poo, a change in your bowel habits for more than a few weeks, tending towards diarrhoea but may also tend towards constipation too. Another symptom may be abdominal pain or discomfort and bloating. It is important to note that most people with these symptoms do not have bowel cancer, but if they persist, occur in older individuals, or occur with symptoms like loss of appetite, fatigue and unintentional weight loss - this should be discussed with a doctor urgently. As bowel cancer is more common in those aged 60 and over, the UK has a bowel cancer screening programme. Those between 60 and 74 years old will be automatically sent a bowel cancer screening test every two years. If you are 75 and over, you can ask for a free test kit every two years. Using the kit you get a small sample of poo and send it off to be tested for blood, which can be a symptom of bowel cancer, but also other conditions. If blood is found, you will be invited for further tests to find the cause, including bowel cancer. If caught early, bowel cancer can be cured. There is evidence that you can reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer by eating a high-fibre diet, with lots of fruit and veg and avoiding processed foods. You should avoid smoking and excessive alcohol intake to lower risk, and keep fit and maintain a healthy weight.

The bladder is the pouch that stores urine before you pee it out. Cancer cells can grow in the inner lining of the bladder and spread to involve the muscle walls and other structures. Bladder cancer is relatively common in the UK, affecting older adults and men more than women. It’s usually surgically treated, with chemotherapy and radiotherapy alongside, depending on both the tumour and the health of the person it affects. But both the cancer and effects of treatment can have a lasting impact on someone’s quality of life and emotional well-being.

The appendix is a tiny pouch from your large intestine, and it's likely to be a remnant from our very distant ancestors. Although it’s often thought to not serve any function to us now it may in fact be helpful as a reservoir of healthy gut bacteria. It’s found in the bottom right hand quarter of your abdomen is usually around 5-10cm long. It can cause problems if it becomes inflamed and infected, in a condition called appendicitis. This can make us very unwell unless treated. It can happen at any age but is most common in people aged between 10 and 20. It seems that if you have your appendix removed you have no long-term health consequences from this and about 1 in 7 people get appendicitis at some time in their life.

Cancer occurs when cells in our body multiply out of control, producing lots of abnormal cells. These abnormal cells don't function like the cell should and can invade tissues or organs and can sometimes spread to other parts of the body. Anal cancer is cancer that is in the anus, which is the last few centimetres of the bowel and connects the bowel to the outside of the body (the last part your stool passes through the anus when you go for a poo). It isn’t a common cancer – it causes less than 1% of all cancers - but HPV (human papillomavirus) infection increases your risk of developing anal cancer. HPV is a virus passed on through sexual intercourse. Most people will be infected with HPV infection in their lifetime and the majority will not develop anal cancer. Both HPV infection and anal cancer are more common in people who have anal sex with a lot of different partners, those who smoke, those with a lowered immune system, or those who have had cervical, vulval or vaginal cancer. The most common symptoms of anal cancer are bleeding, pain, itching, discharge and faecal incontinence (losing the ability to control when you poo). There are many more common causes of bleeding, pain and itching symptoms that are not anal cancer, so please don’t be worried if you have symptoms but always get them checked out. We should be clear - anal cancer is rare. More subtle signs of cancer can be unexplained tiredness or loss of weight, night sweats or pain in your bones.

Acid reflux occurs when stomach acid rises up from the stomach, burning the sensitive lining of your oesophagus (foodpipe). It may reach the throat, giving you an unpleasant bitter taste in the mouth and possibly causing halitosis (bad breath). Burping, bloating, nausea, a long-standing dry cough and pain on swallowing hot drinks can all be additional signs of acid reflux. Most report symptoms are worse on lying down for 20 to 30 minutes after a meal. It can feel quite uncomfortable – it’s known as heartburn for good reason, and pain can be so severe that some people think they are having a heart attack. When you swallow, food passes from the mouth and throat to the oesophagus and on to the stomach, which produces acid to digest the food. Movement shouldn't occur the opposite way, and a one-way valve (the oesophageal sphincter) protects the oesophagus from this. The oesophagus becomes irritated if it's exposed to acid. The sphincter may not function properly for a number of reasons, which can be as simple as bending over causing increased pressure in the stomach and forcing movement through the sphincter the wrong way, or your stomach may be producing too much acid. Acid reflux – also known as dyspepsia, indigestion, heartburn or gastro-oesophageal reflux – is very common and most people experience it in their lifetime. In most cases it's mild and it resolves on its own or can be treated at home. Here at Healthwords, we like to help ease your symptoms, and we can talk you through treatment options, but we believe that prevention is always better than cure, so by understanding some of the triggers, hopefully, this will avoid you suffering severe symptoms. One of the complications of acid reflux in the long term is damage to the oesophagus in a condition known as GORD, and you may be at risk of ulcers. It can also cause permanent changes to the oesophagus lining, called Barrett’s oesophagus – this puts you at slightly higher risk of oesophageal cancer.

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are often associated with women, but they can also significantly impact men, especially as they age. UTIs occur when bacteria infect any part of the urinary system, including the urethra, bladder, ureters, or kidneys. Understanding UTIs in men is crucial because their symptoms and underlying causes can differ from those in women. Men’s unique anatomical structures and potential complications, such as prostate issues, make the presentation and management of UTIs distinct. This article will explore the causes, symptoms, and diagnosis of UTIs in men. We'll delve into why men are affected differently, the specific symptoms they may experience, and the diagnostic tests typically used to identify these infections. Additionally, we'll discuss effective treatment options and strategies for preventing UTIs to help men manage and reduce their risk of these infections.

Haemorrhoids are common and many refer to them as piles. They are enlarged blood vessels just inside or outside the anus, and they look like small red or purple lumps. You might find blood after you go for a poo (this will be bright red blood, and seen on wiping or on the stool), or you can get pain and itching around the anus. For the majority of people, they cause no symptoms at all. Sometimes haemorrhoids can become thrombosed, which means they have no blood flow due to a blood clot. These are very painful and tender to touch. Haemorrhoids are not contagious, and cannot be passed on.

Crohn’s disease is a chronic condition that causes inflammation of the digestive system. It can affect any part of the gut, from the mouth to the anus, but most commonly affects the lower part of the small intestine (ileum) and the large intestine (colon). Crohn’s disease is one of the two main types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), along with ulcerative colitis.

Diverticulitis is a condition where parts of the bowel get inflamed or infected. The bowel is a muscular tube with a smooth wall that stool (poo) can pass along easily, helped by contractions of the gut muscles. As we age, our bowel can develop small outpouchings which are known as diverticula, and we think this is likely to be due to not eating enough fibre in our diet. Diverticula are very common and become more common with increasing age. This means that in the UK, about half of all people have at least one large bowel diverticula by the age of 50, and by the age of 80, about 7 in 10 of people have them. Around three-quarters of people with diverticula have no symptoms, and they cause no harm. However, if these pockets get inflamed or infected – typically because of poo becoming trapped in them - this is known as diverticulitis and about 1 in 5 of people with diverticula will experience this at some time. People with a sudden flare of diverticulitis will suffer from constant abdominal pain, usually in the left lower side, that comes and goes but is usually worse after eating, and gets better after passing wind or stool. Other symptoms include constipation or diarrhoea, mucus or blood in the stool, and a fever. You can become quite ill. Diverticulitis is diagnosed by your doctor after examining you, or from what is seen on either a CT scan or a colonoscopy (a camera placed inside the back passage). Occasionally, if you have no relevant symptoms or only mild tummy pain and occasional bleeding from the back passage, diverticula may be seen as an incidental finding if you have a scan for another reason, and this is of little significance.

Gallbladder cancer is a rare malignancy that originates in the tissue lining of the gallbladder. The gallbladder is a small organ located beneath the liver, responsible for storing bile—a fluid produced by the liver to aid in digesting fatty foods. Although gallbladder cancer is uncommon, it can have serious consequences if not detected and managed promptly.

Gastroenteritis is a gut infection that causes abdominal pain, diarrhoea and nausea or vomiting. You might also feel feverish and will almost certainly be off your food. It's very common, with about 20 per cent of people in the UK being affected by it every year although for most people this is mild and self-limiting and does not require medical attention. Any number of bugs can cause it, but viruses are the most common cause in the UK – rotavirus is a common culprit and outbreaks can occur in schools and workplaces. Bacteria may cause gastroenteritis from contaminated food or water, such as meat that hasn’t been cooked through, for example at barbecues, or rice or salad that has sat out, such as a buffet on a warm day, or drinking from a stream or pond. Travel to exotic locations or ones without good sanitation may bring you into contact with parasites or bacteria, and these may be responsible for your gastroenteritis. Most cases will resolve without treatment and by drinking plenty of fluids in order to prevent dehydration. The majority of gastroenteritis cases improve significantly within 72 hours, however sometimes may continue for up to 5-10 days. The infection – whether  viral or bacterial – irritates the lining of the stomach and gut making the bowel muscles tighten, which in turn triggers vomiting and/or diarrhoea. Depending on the type of bug involved and its severity, symptoms can occur from an hour to several days after getting infected. What are the symptoms? The main symptom is usually watery diarrhoea, and you may also feel sick and start vomiting. In some cases of gastroenteritis there may be blood or mucus in the stools. Cramping abdominal pains are usual, and these may come and go, typically being worse before a bowel movement and easing afterwards. There may also be a high temperature, tiredness and muscle aches and pains. How is it diagnosed? Most people with mild gastroenteritis recognise their symptoms and do not need any medical attention. Tests are not usually needed although if diarrhoea persists for a number of days then a stool (faeces) sample may be tested to try to identify the cause of the infection. Diagnosis is mostly by the symptoms alone however.

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a term that describes a group of disorders that involve chronic inflammation of tissues in the digestive tract. The two main types of IBD are ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Ulcerative colitis affects the inner lining of the large intestine (colon) and rectum, while Crohn’s disease can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. IBD is different from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), which is a common but less serious condition that causes abdominal discomfort, bloating, and changes in bowel habits. IBD is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition that can affect the physical, mental, and social well-being of patients. According to the World Health Organization, IBD affects about 10 million people worldwide, with the highest prevalence in Europe and North America. The average age of onset is between 15 and 35 years, but it can occur at any age. IBD imposes a significant economic burden on the health care system and society, as well as a reduced quality of life for patients and their families. The purpose of this article is to provide an overview of the causes, symptoms, management, treatments, prognosis, and prevention of IBD. By understanding more about this condition, patients can make informed decisions about their health and well-being.