What Are The Early Symptoms Of Colon Cancer?
Early symptoms if detected at the right time can benefit you greatly. The earlier the cancer is detected, the faster and better it can be cured. However, it is better to get regular screenings that rely solely on symptoms. Colon cancer can grow for many years before showing any signs and symptoms. However, there are some symptoms that occur early and if detected can be cured easily. If there is a cancerous growth in your rectum, it will send your bowel movements in disarray. Your body will try to fight the cancerous growth by adjusting itself to its presence, demands and byproducts. Therefore you will experience many changes in your bowel movements. For example, if there is a cancerous growth present in your colon that is an obstacle in the free flow of bowel, you will find yourself defecating less often. If the tumor keeps on growing, you will feel constipated and it will completely block the bowel movement. Sometimes, you will notice that your stool is thinner than usual. This happens because the tumor acts as an obstruction and therefore causes the bowel to flow along a narrower opening. As the tumor keeps growing, the stools will tend to get thinner because of severe obstruction. Bowel obstruction results in several side effects such stomach cramping and bloating. Constipation and diarrhea can also cause pain in the abdomen. In more advanced stages of colon cancer, the severe pain in the abdomen can be a result of the tumor poking through the bowel wall. One of the early signs of colon cancer is detection of blood in your stool. Since tumors cause bleeding, there will be blood in your stool. It does not happen all the time, but often enough to cause anxiety. If the tumor happens to grow in the right colon, the blood will be almost invisible and dry and therefore the bowel will go unnoticed. However, it the tumor is growing in the rectum or toward the left colon, the blood will be fresh and therefore more noticeable. If you are experiencing sudden weight loss, it might be because the body is trying to adjust to the obstructions in the bowel. Sudden weight loss is a sign that something is wrong with the body and therefore serves as an early indicator of the tumor. Growth of cancerous cells in the colon often results in severe fatigue. If you find yourself getting tired more often than usual, it is a sign that something is wrong. It indicates that there is something in your body that is feeding off the energy and therefore causing so much fatigue. Sometimes the tumor tends to cause anemia, a condition in which the red blood cells do not transport enough energy and because of insufficient iron content, cause fatigue. If you have finished defecating but still feel that you need to do it again, it indicates that something is wrong. This usually happens when the tumor is located at the end of the rectum of the colon causing this sensation of constant defecation. Because of obstruction due to the tumor, you will experience nausea and vomiting. It can also trap air and cause severe gas However, even will all these signs and early symptoms; it is important to understand that colon cancer can go unnoticed for several years without showing symptoms. Therefore it is necessary to keep going for regular screenings if you notice anything unusual at all. |
