Inflammatory bowel disease is as common among Canadians as epilepsy, afflicting more people than do multiple sclerosis or the HIV virus.
In Canada, an estimated 200,000 people -- one in 160 -- live with pain of Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis, the two most common types of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
This country has among the highest rates of bowel disease in the world, yet most patients, nearly 71 per cent, waited more than six months to be diagnosed after they first experienced symptoms, and 45 per cent waited more than a year to find out what's bothering them.
The Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of Canada (CCFC) is working to reduce those figures and has launched a month-long campaign to create awareness for a problem that has no known cure.
"We want to help more individuals and medical practitioners identify Crohn's and colitis symptoms earlier," said Dr. Kevin Glasgow, the CCFC's chief executive officer.
"People living with IBD too often face their conditions in silence and we want to encourage patients to speak up about their symptoms so that we can work toward quicker diagnosis times and earlier treatment."
Symptoms include abdominal pain, cramping, frequent and urgent diarrhea and bloody stools, as well as nausea, bloating, anemia, joint pain, canker sores in the mouth, skin and eye irritations and weight loss.
Most people affected are diagnosed by the age of 30.
During periods when the condition flares up, 86 per cent of patients report having more than five bowel movements or false urges per day and 14 per cent have 20 per day. During those episodes, 44 per cent of patients describe the pain as agonizing and debilitating or steady pain that lasts for hours.
The difference between Crohn's disease and colitis is that Crohn's can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, from the mouth to the anus, causing inflammation. Colitis is confined to the inner layer of the colon, always starting in the rectum. The inflammation can spread to the rest of the colon.
Surgery can eliminate ulcerative colitis but might result in patients having to store and expel waste through a hole in the stomach connected to a colostomy bag. Of those who have surgery, 39 per cent require a colostomy.
For more information on Crohn's and Colitis Awareness Month, go to www.getgutsymonth.ca.
