Watch Out For These Colon Cancer Symptoms

There are many colon cancer symptoms and they are usually non-specific. The list includes the following: alterations in bowel habits, narrow stools, diarrhea or constipation, red or dark blood in stool, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, fatigue, and even shortness of breath.

Other colon conditions such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome, ulcerative colitis, diverticulosis, and peptic ulcer disease can exhibit symptoms that mimic colon cancer symptoms.

In addition, the disease can be present for several years before colon cancer symptoms develop. For this reason, it is still best for you to undergo regular screenings to detect colon cancer early on. However, it won’t hurt to know the most common colon cancer symptoms to look out for.

Here is a list of the top colon cancer symptoms:

• You are experiencing a major change in your bowel movements. If you are defecating more or less often, this could indicate the presence of a tumor. Changes in your body’s bathroom habits can be a sign that your body is adjusting to the presence of a tumor. If you have a tumor growing in your colon, this can inhibit the flow of solid waste, and if it grows big enough, you may even end up constipated.

• There is blood on your fecal matter. Tumors have a tendency to bleed, and some of the blood may appear in your stool, depending on where the tumor is located.

• Your stool is thinner than usual. The tumor presents an obstruction solid body waste has to squeeze through, causing it to become narrower than usual.

• You are losing weight unexplainably. Weight loss that can not be explained is usually a sign that something is wrong with the body. In the case of colon cancer, it can mean that something is blocking the absorption of food and nutrition.

• You experience stomach pains, cramping or bloating. Bloating can be the result of intestinal obstruction, while cramping may be caused by diarrhea or constipation. In more advanced stages of colon cancer, severe abdominal cramping may be caused by the tumor piercing through the intestinal wall.

• You always feel tired. This could be indicative of anemia, a condition wherein you don’t have enough red blood cells bringing oxygen to your body. While anemia can be caused by insufficient iron intake, it can also be one of the colon cancer symptoms that indicate the existence of a tumor that has been bleeding unnoticeably.

• You always feel like you need to move your bowels. This feeling may be caused by a tumor blocking the way, making your body feel like there is still more waste matter to be expelled.

• Your stomach feels bloated with gas. Again, this is one of the colon cancer symptoms that may show a tumor is blocking your colon or rectum, trapping air and causing gas.

• You are constantly vomiting. The tumor that blocks the intestines can cause nausea that induces vomiting.

• You have anemia. Tumors that bleed for a long time and are unnoticed usually cause anemia.

• You experience abdominal pain. With this nausea, bloating, vomiting, and the inability to pass gas or stool, this is usually indicative of obstruction that may be caused by a tumor. But this is already rare among all colon cancer symptoms.

While the above list may prove to be helpful in detecting colon cancer symptoms, it is still urgent for most people to receive regular colon cancer screenings after the age of 50, because in most colon cancer cases, early detection leads to a complete cure.