Article by Osagie Fadaka
There is nothing that scares you more than seeing blood in your poo. Of course, you always panic a little, but it need not necessarily be bowel cancer. There are many other reasons, so go immediately to your doctor.
For example, in my early thirties, I noticed some blood in the toilet after I’d been for a poo. I went immediately to my GP, who examined me and explained that my cycling to and from work on one of my fitness kicks had caused hemorrhoids, and that was where the blood had come from.
So don’t panic, worry, or overthink. Get a medical examination. It also happened to a friend recently who even went to the hospital and was given a full scan with a very similar result to mine.
Symptoms:
Bowel (colorectal) cancer symptoms can include:
- Bleeding from the back passage or blood in your poo
- Changes in your regular toilet could be looser poo going more often.
- Constipation
- Your doctor can feel a lump up your rectum or often on the right side of your tummy.
- You feel like you need to poo, even again after going.
- Weight loss.
- Pain in your stomach or rectum.
- Tiredness and breathlessness caused by anemia.
Sometimes cancer can obstruct the bowel. It causes abdominal cramping pains, leaving you feeling bloated, constipated, or like you want to fart, and physically sick. If you feel like this, get seen immediately, it is an emergency. Even go to the Accident and Emergency Department at the hospital.
Blood from higher up in the bowel goes dark red or black and can make your poo look like tar. This type of bleeding can indicate cancer higher up the bowel, alternatively from a bleeding stomach ulcer.
As we always tell you, don’t take it for granted what we write here:-
Get checked out by your doctor or general practitioner if you suspect you have a problem.
Your doctor may refer you to a specialist, and if they suspect bowel cancer, you should be seen within two weeks.
Several tests might be carried out:
- Your doctor’s finger is the first test typically; They can feel for any abnormality.
- Testing for blood in your poo via a FIT Test. It looks for blood traces in your poo.
- A scope can be inserted into your bowel via a flexible tube.
- Samples of tissue can be taken while also checking for polyps. (Colonoscopy.) This looks at the larger bowel area.
- Various scans such as MRI, Pet-CT, and ultrasound will determine if the cancer has spread.
Sources:
https://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/bowel-cancer/symptoms
