The color of stools varies, but typically falls within the spectrum of brown color, depending on the foods you eat. You should be concerned if your stools are deep red, maroon, black, or "tarry," especially if they have a noticeable odor. This may mean that there is blood in the stool.
See your health care provider if more-frequent bowel movements also are accompanied by any of the following signs or symptoms: Changes in the consistency, volume or appearance of your bowel movements, such as repeatedly passing narrow, ribbonlike stools or loose, watery stools. Abdominal pain.
If you do not have a bowel movement for more than three days or experience diarrhea for longer than a day, you should contact your doctor. Also, if you lose the ability to control your bowels, this is an indication of a concerning change in bowel habits.
Signs and symptoms of bowel cancer
The 3 main symptoms of bowel cancer are blood in the stools (faeces), a change in bowel habit, such as more frequent, looser stools, and abdominal (tummy) pain. However, these symptoms are very common.
Signs and symptoms of colon cancer include: A persistent change in your bowel habits, including diarrhea or constipation or a change in the consistency of your stool. Rectal bleeding or blood in your stool. Persistent abdominal discomfort, such as cramps, gas or pain.
Colon cancer is considered a silent disease. Most of the time there are no symptoms. The symptoms that people may experience include a change in bowel habits, abdominal pain, blood in the stool, and weight loss. If individuals have these symptoms, the disease may already have advanced.
Bowel habits can vary from person to person, day to day. However a sudden and noticeable change to your bowel habit can be suggestive of an underlying health issue – such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or bowel cancer.
Types of bowel problems
Common issues such as constipation and difficulties emptying the bowel, faecal incontinence, bowel urgency and diarrhoea. Divertucular Disease. Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (e.g. Crohn's and Ulcerative Colitis).
Constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), nausea, food poisoning, gas, bloating, GERD and diarrhea are common examples. Many factors may upset your GI tract and its motility (ability to keep moving), including: Eating a diet low in fiber.
Symptoms Bowel cancer
a persistent change in bowel habit – pooing more often, with looser, runnier poos and sometimes tummy (abdominal) pain. blood in the poo without other symptoms of piles (haemorrhoids) – this makes it unlikely the cause is haemorrhoids.
Thin stools are a sign of colon cancer. Any time you notice a narrow or ribbon-like stool, it indicates changes in your colon.
Stage 1 bowel cancer means that the cancer has grown through the inner lining of the bowel, or into the muscle wall, but no further. There is no cancer in the lymph nodes.
Because early stages of colon cancer can go unnoticed for years, screening is important for early detection. It is generally recommended that individuals at average risk for colon cancer receive a screening test every 10 years.
Colon cancer, or cancer that begins in the lower part of the digestive tract, usually forms from a collection of benign (noncancerous) cells called an adenomatous polyp. Most of these polyps will not become malignant (cancerous), but some can slowly turn into cancer over the course of about 10-15 years.
Abdominal pain, aches, or cramps may be symptoms of colorectal cancer. If you have any symptoms that worry you, be sure to see your doctor right away.
The most common symptoms of digestive disorders include bleeding, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, pain, nausea and vomiting. Accurately diagnosing digestive disorders involves collecting a thorough medical history and conducting a physical examination.
Frequent discomfort, gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and heartburn could be signs that your gut is having a hard time processing food and eliminating waste. You feel tired more often than not. People with chronic fatigue may have imbalances in the gut.
Call your doctor if you have any of these digestive symptoms: Chronic or unusual abdominal pain. Persistent or severe heartburn. Difficulty swallowing.
Viral gastroenteritis is an intestinal infection that includes signs and symptoms such as watery diarrhea, stomach cramps, nausea or vomiting, and sometimes fever.