Colon cancer symptoms

Colon cancer is one of the most prevalent forms of cancer nowadays. It might come as a surprise that most of its symptoms are so common that they may pass as ordinary illnesses. It takes years before symptoms would start to show yet the cancer could already be ravaging. It pays to be screened regularly especially when the following signs start to appear:

• Constipation—this is when the patient moves his bowel less frequently (less than three times every week). This could also be a symptom for many other illnesses yet a tumor in the rectal area could make bowel movement so difficult, hence, the constipation.
• Stomach cramp—due to the severity of blockage on the colon, there are many obstructions that could cause the painful cramps that could be felt on the stomach area.
• Thin stool—since there could be a severe blockage on the colon (it could be in the form of solid, liquid or gas obstructions), thin stool could be an indication that the waste has been squeezed by an obstacle.
• Weight loss—when a person loses weight without even trying, this is a clear indication that there is something wrong with his system. In colon cancer, there is a possibility that a tumor is releasing chemicals which, in turn, increase the patient’s metabolism.
• Vomiting and nausea—these two could also be symptoms for dozens of illnesses and one of them is colon cancer.
• Hematochezia—when the patient starts to pass bloody stool, it could be an indication that the tumor has bled. If the tumor is at the rear portion of the colon, the stool could show up bright red.
• Bloating and passing gas—these two are clear indicators of colon cancer. When air is trapped in the bowel, the body gets bloated and when this problem is resolved, the body’s immediate solution is to pass gas.
• Being lethargic could also mean that you have this illness.

Still the greatest way to prevent this type of cancer or any other illness is to maintain a healthy lifestyle to be regularly checked by one’s physician. After all, prevention is always better than cure.