Doctors warn that narrow stools could be a sign of colon cancer… this is what the shape of poop says about your health
Doctors warn that certain types of stool, such as narrow poop, could be a sign of colon cancer.
Normally a healthy number two is shaped like a sausage and is thin or covered with cracks on the surface.
While occasional narrow stools may just be a sign of constipation, it can also indicate chronic digestive problems such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), diverticulitis and even cancer.
And if you see blood on your toilet paper or the toilet bowl, this is a sign that you should call a doctor immediately, as these could include hemorrhoids, Crohn’s disease and cancer.
The warnings come as the US faces an epidemic of young people being diagnosed with colon cancer, and experts are working to unravel the cause.
Experts warn that narrow and bloody stools could be a sign of colon cancer, which is rapidly increasing in the US
Narrow stools may resemble a ribbon or a pencil.
Most often, these can be a sign of constipation, which means you have fewer bowel movements per week or have difficulty urinating.
Constipation is often caused by lifestyle factors such as not getting enough fiber, not drinking enough water and not exercising regularly.
However, the nonprofit organization Fight Colorectal Cancer warns that narrow stools can also indicate IBS, a chronic condition that leads to abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea and constipation.
These can also indicate diverticular disease, in which pouches form in the walls of the intestine and become inflamed, causing the intestines to narrow.
Other signs of diverticular disease include pain in the lower left side of the abdomen, changes in bowel habits, symptoms that worsen after eating and improve after a bowel movement, and pain that worsens when pressure is applied to the stomach.
Additionally, Fight Colorectal Cancer states that loose stools can be a sign of obstructions such as tumors.
Data from JAMA Surgery shows that colon cancer is expected to increase by 90 percent in people ages 20 to 34 by 2030. Doctors aren’t sure what’s driving the mysterious increase
Colon cancer can cause you to have blood in your poop, a change in bowel habits, a lump in your intestine that can cause blockages. Some people also suffer from weight loss as a result of these symptoms
“For the most part, narrow stools that occur infrequently are not a cause for concern.” But if you have stringy stools for more than a week, seek medical attention,” the charity said.
An alarming type of stool is blood on toilet paper, on the feces or in the toilet bowl. Fight Colorectal Cancer warns that “any amount of rectal bleeding is not normal, and you need to figure out why you’re seeing blood in the toilet.”
The charity warns that blood in the stool is a common sign of bowel cancer, which is increasing worldwide, especially in adults under 50.
Rates among young people are expected to double by 2030, and by the end of the decade, colorectal cancer is also expected to be the leading cause of cancer deaths in people under 50.
This is based on data from JAMA operationThis study found that colon cancer will increase by 90 percent between 2010 and 2030 in people aged 20 to 34. Rectal cancer will have increased by 124 percent in the same age group.
The ACS estimates that approximately 153,000 cases of colorectal cancer will be discovered in 2023, including 19,500 among those under 50 years of age.
About 53,000 people are expected to die from the disease this year.
However, Fight Colorectal Cancer states that blood in the stool is not always a sign of cancer.
If the blood is bright red, it means it is newer and has not traveled far. Bright red blood usually comes from the lowest part of the colon, known as the sigmoid colon, which can be a sign of hemorrhoids.
Darker, tarry blood is older, indicating that it came from higher up in the colon. This could be a sign of Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis, which cause inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract.
Stools covered in white or yellow mucus can also indicate Crohn’s disease, as well as infections such as salmonella.
Other changes in stool may indicate health problems other than cancer.
For example, floating stools simply mean that your body has too much gas.
This can happen after sudden dietary changes, such as adding foods like broccoli, beans and lentils to your diet. Lactose can also cause excessive amounts of gas.
Floating poop can be linked to a lack of bile, which the liver produces to filter waste such as toxins and excess cholesterol.
A lack of bile in the stool can be an indication of bile acid malabsorption. When bile is not properly absorbed, it causes chemical imbalances, which can ultimately result in diarrhea.
Patients with colon cancer have also noted that not all of their symptoms were related to stool.
For example, one user on Quora said they “chewed ice cream a lot.”
‘This was new to me. My doctor said it could be anemia, so he had me take a blood test. Yes, I was anemic,” the user mentioned Renee wrote.
‘He wanted to know where my blood was going, so he suggested a colonoscopy. I wasn’t happy, but said, “Okay.” It came back positive for rectal cancer.”