Bowel Cancer Awareness – Do You Know the Signs?
April 2018 is Bowel Cancer Awareness Month.
Bowel cancer is the UK’s second biggest cancer killer however, it is treatable and curable especially if diagnosed early. Most people diagnosed with it are over the age of 60.
If you experience any of the below symptoms, it’s worth getting them checked out with your GP;
- Persistent bleeding from your bottom and/or blood in your poo
- A persistent and unexplained change in bowel habit (usually going more often with looser stools)
- Persistent lower abdominal (tummy) pain, bloating or discomfort– that’s always caused by eating and may be associated with loss of appetite or significant unintentional weight loss
These symptoms are fairly common for a number of things, such as:
- Blood in the stools when associated with pain or soreness is more often caused by piles (haemorrhoids)
- A change in bowel habit or abdominal pain is usually the results of something you’ve eaten
- A change in bowel habit to going less often, with harder stools, is not usually caused by any serious condition – it may be worth trying laxatives before seeing your GP.
Why not try the bowel cancer symptom checker for advice on what you can try to see if your symptoms get better, and when you should see your GP to discuss whether tests are necessary.
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