More people could have hidden bowel condition

Many radical whitethorn beryllium suffering from an undiagnosed and misunderstood bowel condition, according to the foundation Guts UK.

Microscopic colitis is an inflammation of the ample bowel and causes predominant watery diarrhoea, tummy pain, faecal incontinence, fatigue and value loss.

Some modular tests for inflammatory bowel conditions bash not spot it.

But contempt misdiagnoses, cases person risen successful the UK successful caller years.

Victoria Rennison, 33, from South London, was diagnosed with microscopic colitis past year, aft much than a decennary of symptoms.

She saw a fig of specialists but was told she had irritable bowel syndrome and "was near to get connected with it".

When the information was astatine its worst she would walk the full time and galore nights connected the toilet, oregon moving urgently to the bathroom.

"The diarrhoea would travel connected abruptly and would beryllium profuse and watery and the symptom was similar aggravated cramps," said Victoria.

"There were adjacent times my babe lad had to beryllium connected a bouncer successful the bath with maine for hours."

She told BBC News: "I utilized to beryllium sociable and outgoing but I recovered it harder and harder to spell out.

"I didn't privation to permission the house. I had to marque a representation of each toilet to bash so."

Victoria was yet diagnosed aft a gut specializer did a colonoscopy (camera trial of her bowel) and - crucially - took biopsy samples of the inflamed bowel.

On erstwhile visits to doctors she had had colonoscopies, but nary biopsy samples had been taken and the information - which tin beryllium seen intelligibly erstwhile samples are enactment nether a microscope - was missed.

She says it was a immense alleviation to get a diagnosis and beryllium fixed treatment.

"It was not imaginable to support surviving similar that with a tiny child. I consciousness similar I've yet regained immoderate semblance of normality."

Julie Harrington, CEO of Guts UK, said it was important to supply grooming for healthcare providers, and proceed to rise awareness, and put successful research.

She added: "It is terribly bittersweet that thousands of radical are suffering with the debilitating symptoms of microscopic colitis.

"Most radical with the information tin beryllium easy treated with a people of gut-specific steroids oregon with symptom-relieving medicines, but getting a diagnosis is the first, indispensable step."

Prof Chris Probert, astatine the University of Liverpool, said: "It is not wide wherefore cases of the information are connected the increase, but it is apt to beryllium owed to a substance of accrued consciousness of symptoms starring to much diagnoses, and biology factors.

"The bully quality is that effectual treatments are available, truthful radical experiencing symptoms could payment enormously by talking with their GP."