Time for a bowel control.
About 150,000 Americans are diagnosed each year with colorectal cancer, which occurs when cells in the colon or rectum grow out of control.
While colorectal cancer is traditionally associated with the elderly, diagnoses in young people have grown in the sky in recent years. A 20% of cases in 2019 were among people younger than 55, from 11% in 1995.
Due to the disturbing tendency, the US preventive services Task Force updated its guidelines for examination of colorectal cancer in 2021 to reduce the recommended age for starting from 50 to 45 for moderate adults.
You can also be alert to home symptoms. Dr. Cedrek McFadden, a South Carolina -based colorectal surgeon and a medical advisor in the colorectal cancer alliance, shared five signs you should never ignore.
“Conclusion: If something doesn’t go away, trust your intestines – literally – and talk to your doctor,” McFadden told The Post.
Changes in bathroom habits
“If you notice constant diarrhea, constipation or a change in the shape, size, consistency or frequency of your excrement, simply do not remove it as stress or diet changes,” McFadden said.
For example, thin pencil excrement may indicate a tumor near the bottom of the colon or its inner lining.
Blood in the excrement
“Red or dark red blood is a large flag that should not be ignored,” McFadden warned. “That’s not normal, and you don’t have to wait to check it.”
Rectal bleeding is a symptom of some conditions in addition to colon cancer, such as hemorrhoids, anal cracks, inflammatory intestinal disease, diverticular disease and some sexually transmitted infections.
Unexplained weight
While many people may be happy to lose weight, a retiree who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at the age of 66 recalled that he lost his kilograms during the holidays without effort.
He finally appointed a meeting when his wife said, “You are melting literally before my eyes. What will it take to push you to go to the doctor? ”
“If the pounds are falling without trying, it can mean that something is wrong in your digestive system,” McFadden said.
Constant abdominal discomfort
“Pain, cramps or swelling that does not leave can be a sign of something serious,” McFadden noted.
About 15% of patients at the University of Texas MD Cancer Center cite pain as one of their symptoms of colon cancer – is described as a “permanent cramping” in their stomach.
Fatigue
“If you are always tired and you can’t determine why, it may be due to anemia,” McFadden said.
A low number of red blood cells, also known as anemia, is present at 30% to 75% of patients with colorectal cancer.
Anemia can be a sign that a tumor in your digestive tract is bleeding.
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Image Source : nypost.com