Rachel Williams from Zest Lifestyle is sharing this important article to highlight the importance of early detection and open conversations around bowel health:
Bowel Cancer Awareness: Spotting the signs early can save lives
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the second biggest cancer killer – yet it’s treatable and curable, especially if diagnosed early. It is time to raise awareness of the signs, encourage screening, and support those affected.
Common symptoms of bowel cancer include:
- Persistent changes in bowel habits (e.g. going more often or looser stools)
- Blood in your poo
- Unexplained weight loss
- Ongoing fatigue with no clear cause
- Pain or a lump in your tummy
These symptoms don’t always mean cancer, but it’s important to get them checked if they persist for more than three weeks.
Bowel cancer can affect anyone – but your risk increases with age, particularly over 50.
What you can do:
- Speak to your GP if you notice any symptoms
- Don’t ignore your NHS bowel screening kit – it’s quick and free
- Eat a high-fibre diet with plenty of fruit and veg
- Limit red and processed meat
- Stay physically active
- Know your family history and mention it to your GP if relevant
Early detection saves lives. By talking more openly about bowel health and encouraging action, we can help more people get diagnosed early and improve outcomes.
Have you or your loved ones completed a bowel screening kit recently? It's quick, free and could be lifesaving.
For more information go to Bowel Cancer UK
Discover how a burst of Zest makes life and work feel better.
Zest Lifestyle help organisations across the UK to take better care of their employee health.
We do this with a mixture of live sessions (both in person and remote) and via our online platform.
Visit our website to find more: https://www.zestlifestyle.com/