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A gastroenterologist says that understanding your bathroom habits is key to preventing colon cancer.
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Many people are embarrassed to talk to their doctors and miss key warning signs, she said.
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Knowing what’s normal can help you stay informed about your health and detect illnesses earlier.
Have you seen your poop recently? Gastroenterologist Dr. According to Trisha Pasricha, it could save your life.
Colorectal cancer remains the leading cause of cancer death in people under the age of 50, a disturbing pattern Pasricha has seen in his patients. Some of them take a “flush it and forget it” approach to their bowel movements, missing key information about their health.
“It’s very difficult to say what you see and then even use the right words to describe what you saw,” she told Business Insider.
Subtle changes in bathroom habits — such as unexplained diarrhea, constipation, or the need to go quickly — can be early signs of colon cancer, which often doesn’t cause symptoms in advanced stages that are difficult to treat.
“The big problem is that we’re catching them late,” Pasricha said of colon cancer diagnoses. “The stage at which you catch these early onset cases is everything.”
His new book, “You’ve Been Pooping All Wrong,” details how your digestion can be an important indicator of your overall health, including your risk of colon cancer.
She offers tips for understanding what changes in your bowel movements mean for your health, and when to talk to your doctor.
“When we’re talking about pooping, it’s really not just about the poop. It’s about the whole system,” she said.
How to tell if your stool is normal
Pasricha said the first step toward “poophoria,” or bathroom bliss, is getting a baseline of what your poop usually looks like.
While there are some general guidelines about different types of stool, from watery “fluffy” to sausage-shaped, the standard for healthy poop can vary widely among people.
“The only way you know what your normal is is to look,” she said. “You should see it every day.”
From there, you can begin to note how your digestive system reacts to changes in your routine, such as when you travel, when you’re stressed, or when you eat certain foods.
Pasricha said there’s no telltale poop that always indicates colon cancer, and even the healthiest poop doesn’t guarantee you’re cancer-free.
“The scary thing about it is that it can look a little different to different people,” she said.
That’s why it’s important to keep track of changes and talk to your doctor about any changes in your habits that last more than a few weeks.
“It could be as simple as new diarrhea or going more frequently that I wasn’t used to. It could be completely disrupting my life,” she said.
Warning signs of colon cancer
While a visual examination of your poop can’t definitively diagnose colon cancer — you’ll need a colonoscopy or other test for that — there are two warning signs that warrant an immediate medical visit.
Colon cancer can sometimes cause ribbon- or pencil-like narrow or thin stools. It’s not a sure-fire sign of cancer, but it’s worth discussing with your doctor, especially if it’s consistent over time.
“If there’s a particularly large tumor, it can compress the stool and make it thin on the way out,” Pasicha said.
Common signs and symptoms of colon cancer:
The second, and most important, sign of trouble is bleeding during bowel movements: in the toilet bowl, on the toilet paper, or in the stool. It can be bright red or black and tarry.
Rectal bleeding is one of the most common symptoms of early-onset colon cancer. While patients may feel embarrassed to mention this, it is important to immediately rule out more innocuous potential causes such as hemorrhoids or IBD.
“Bleeding in any form is a big literal red flag,” Pasicha said. “I want to hear when you see the blood a day or two later, maybe even the same day.”
Other possible symptoms of colon cancer include abdominal pain, even if it’s minor and not severe enough to warrant a trip to the ER.
“It’s often a new, unexplained, lower abdominal pain that doesn’t stop you from doing your job, but it’s also uncomfortable, and it’s annoying, and it wasn’t there before,” Pasricha said.
Another indicator may be anemia or iron deficiency. It is diagnosed with a blood test, and the most common symptom is fatigue.
“Maybe you don’t have the energy you used to, maybe you’re a little paler than usual,” Pasricha said. She added that young women may be especially at risk because low iron levels are often blamed on heavy periods.
The bottom line is that you shouldn’t be afraid or embarrassed to talk to your doctors about subtle symptoms that affect your digestive system or health; Waiting until you are seriously ill can mean missing the opportunity for early diagnosis when treatment is most effective.
This article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified physician or healthcare provider.
Read the original article on Business Insider
