Don’t sit on your symptoms

Bowel cancer is the second highest cause of cancer death in New Zealand and is more common in those aged over 50, but it affects people of all ages, even young people.  It is treatable and beatable if detected early enough.

Dr Cameron Schauer, Gastroenterologist at Waitemata Endoscopy explains why gut health is so important, things you can do improve it and symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored that might mean you need a Colonoscopy.

Why is gut health important?

• The gut absorbs all of the nutrients in the foods that you eat and diffuses them out into the body

• Manages the waste and filters and eliminates toxins from the body

• It’s crucial to your immune system

How to improve your gut health

• Natural prebiotics – fermentable foods that feed your own natural bacteria, like brown rice, brown bread, grains, legumes and beans that optimise your gut health

• Foods with natural probiotics such as sauerkraut, kombucha, kimchi and yoghurts

• Managing a healthy weight and regular exercise has been shown to change your gut health

The gut is the engine of the body.  When the gut is working well, the body is working well.  Implementing these changes, you’ll see changes to your physical and mental wellbeing.

Symptoms to look out for

• Change in bowel habit

• Bleeding from the bowel

• Know your family history

What is a Colonoscopy?

• It involves flushing and cleansing the bowel of all the stool so we can see what’s inside the colon

• A day stay procedure which only takes about 30-40 minutes and you’ll go home on the same day

• One of the massive benefits of a Colonoscopy is the ability to detect and remove polyps, the precursors to bowel cancer

To view Dr Schauer’s full video and to learn more about gut health, please scan the QR code below or visit www.waitemataendoscopy.co.nz/medical-conditions.