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What is your poo telling you? Changes to your bowel movements could be one of the first warning signs of bowel cancer. Here are the three signs you must never ignore.
More than 42,000 Britons are diagnosed with bowel cancer each year, according to Bowel Cancer UK.
A huge 90 percent of all cases of bowel cancer affect people over the age of 50.
Bowel cancer is treatable but it needs to be detected early for the best chances of successfully treating the disease.
What are the signs of bowel cancer when you go to the toilet?
Bleeding
Bleeding from your bottom when you go to the toilet, or signs of blood in your poo is one of the most common signs of bowel cancer.
Blood after you poo can be caused by a number of different, less serious, issues like haemorrhoids or an anal fissure.
Blood in your poo can even be caused by eating certain foods, including beetroot or too much red food colouring, but you can’t rule out bowel cancer without being examined by a doctor.
Needing the toilet more or less often
Another common symptom of bowel cancer can be needing to poo more or less often.
Some people also report feeling like they haven’t fully emptied their bowels after going to the toilet.
Essentially, any changes to your toilet habits that concern you are worth discussing with your doctor.
Keeping a diary of your symptoms can help you to give your doctor a clearer picture of what’s been going on, and how long you’ve had symptoms for.
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Many other conditions can cause changes to your bowel movements, including irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colititis.
However, it is crucial for your doctor to investigate bowel cancer first, as it can be a devastating, life-threatening, diagnosis if caught too late.
Changes to your poo
If you notice changes in the consistency of your poo, and there’s no obvious cause – such as constipation or a stomach bug – you should see a doctor.
It can feel strange talking to your doctor about your toilet habits, which is why tools like the Bristol Stool Chart can help.
The Bristol Stool Chart allows you to check what ‘type’ your poo best resembles: this can help in explaining to your doctor without going into too much excruciating detail.
Talking about your poo might be embarrassing, but it could literally save your life.
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