If you are told ” Crohn’s disease there is a good chance that you will answer “inflammatory bowel disease”. On the other hand, if you are told about “ulcerative colitis” or “ulcerative colitis”, you may not be able to answer. Nothing more normal. According to the Association François Aupetit-Vaincre les IBD, more than one in two French people have never heard of this disease and only 20% of them know what it is overall.
” Ulcerative colitis is an inflammation of the rectum and colon due to a malfunction of the immune system which abnormally attacks certain bacteria present in the intestine explains Professor Philippe Marteau, head of the gastroenterology department at the Lariboisière hospital in Paris. It is a little known disease, and even much less known than Crohn’s disease. And yet it is a very common disease that affects between 60,000 and 100,000 people depending on the European country. »
They reveal their front to lift taboos
” Ulcerative colitis suffers from a real lack of notoriety compared to other diseases that affect the colon. This is why we have decided to lift the taboos to change the way people look at this disease. says Chantal Dufresne, president of the Afa association.
Taking advantage of World Chronic Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Day, the association is launching the website www.leur-recto.fr to reveal the invisible side of this particularly debilitating disease, even if it cannot be seen.
” To make the disease better known, we deliberately played the card of seduction and sensuality. For challenge the general public and show them that it is possible to be young and attractive, to appear in good health, and yet to suffer from a disease which has no cure, which is tiring, painful and truly disabling insists Chantal Dufresne.
Ulcerative rectitis mainly affects young people
Generally diagnosed in adolescents and young adults, ulcerative colitis affects all ages. Doctors are also recording more and more cases in children.
In its “lightest” form, the inflammation only affects the rectum, causing an urgent need to have a bowel movement, diarrhea with the emission of mucus and blood. But the disease, which develops in flare-ups, can also affect either part of the colon’s mucosa or the entire colon (in this case it is called pancolitis). Diarrhea is then accompanied by severe pain, weight loss, anemia and a significant deterioration in general condition. ” This chronic inflammation is also an increased risk of colon cancer. adds Professor Marteau.
” To explain my disease, I usually say that it is a gastro power 10 “Says Bertille, 27 years old, suffering from “recto” for 7 years. ” When I’m in remission, I live, I go out, I have a social life. But in the push phases, I survive, with the pain. “Even if she recognizes that it is difficult to talk about this disease, Bertille is one of the 7 patients who have agreed to testify on the site www.leur-recto.fr.
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