The signs and symptoms of colon problems may be caused by non-cancerous conditions, such as infection, hemorrhoids, irritable bowel syndrome, or inflammatory bowel disease. If you notice any of these symptoms, go see your doctor so the cause can be found and treated.
Lifestyle factors that have the greatest effect on colon health are smoking; regular exercise and whether you are overweight or not. What food we choose on a daily basis to put into our “petrol tanks” will also have a profound long term effect on colon health. Daily intake of plant material (vegetables) is vital, coupled to the intake of healthy fats and the regular drinking of water.
A routine colonoscopy is the very best way to check on the health of this vital organ in your body – every five years after the age of 50, and from a younger age if there is a family history of colon cancer.
The typical signs and symptoms of colon cancer, according to the Mayo Clinic, include the following:
- A change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation, or a change in the consistency of your stool, that lasts longer than 4 weeks.
- Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool.
- Food intolerances, can be accompanied by early satiety, nausea, vomiting
- Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain.
- A feeling that your bowel does not empty completely.
- Weakness or fatigue.
- Unexplained (unintended) weight loss.