Early Detection Saves Lives Before you can fully understand early symptoms of colon cancer, it is important to understand where exactly it occurs within your body. A colon refers to the final part of the digestive system; specifically, it is part of the large intestine. The purpose of a colon is to help prepare your digested foods for excretion. It stores your waste as it waits to vacate your body and plays a very minor part in extracting nutrients in the final stages of digestion. What is Colon Cancer? As the name suggests, colon cancer is a cancer that starts in the colon. Cancer occurs when cells, instead of replicating at a regular rate, begin to divide rapidly, causing tumors to form, and disrupting healthy bodily functions. As cancers progress, the growing cells can travel to other regions of the body. [youmaylike] What are Polyps? Polyps are growths that can grow within the colon. Having polyp growth does not mean you will get colon cancer. While not all polyps are cancerous, almost all malignant tumors in the colon start as polyps. Upon examination, your doctor will be able to give you more information on what your options are. Generally, a physician will perform a colonoscopy to remove it. Once removed, a pathologist can examine the tissue to determine whether or not the sample is dangerous and if further actions need to be taken. Symptoms of Polyps Polyps are not something you can see. To know something is not quite right, you will have to monitor your regular bodily functions. The most commonly reported symptoms related to polyp formation are: Rectal bleeding: If you notice that your rectum is bleeding, this could be due to polyp formation. It is important to recognize that this is also a common symptom of other problems such as hemorrhoids or anal tears. If it happens persistently, you should consider visiting your doctor for an internal examination. Abdominal pain: When polyps are rather big, they can obstruct the bowel. In doing so, it can cause problems that manifest as cramps or other abdominal pain. Irregular-colored stools: Even if you cannot notice it directly, rectal bleeding can influence the color of the stool. You may notice some small red stripes in mild cases. In more serious cases, heavy bleeding may cause your poop to appear black. Before you start to worry, make sure these color changes are not simply due to a change in diet, medication, or supplement use. Anemia: If polyps continue to bleed for a prolonged time, they may cause the development of an iron deficiency. Anemia can manifest in several ways, including fatigue, shortness of breath, feeling dizzy, fainting, or having abnormally pale skin. Common Early Symptoms of Colon Cancer Polyps themselves are, again, not a direct indication of colon cancer. While cancer can develop from a polyp, there are other symptoms which separate the benign and malignant development. Symptoms of colon cancer are different for everyone, but the most commonly reported signs are: Changes in bowel movements: Particularly, you want to pay attention to the consistency of your stools. If it looks different or you develop constipation or diarrhea for an extended time, talk to your doctor. Rectal bleeding: You might pass bloody stools. Abdominal pain: Any type of discomfort, such as cramps or gas, should be monitored. Fatigue: Feeling weak or consistently tired despite adequate rest can be a sign of many medical problems. Weight loss: Unexplained weight loss may be a sign of a lack of nutrition due to a malfunctioning digestive tract. Essentially, if your intestines are not able to properly absorb nutrients from food, you will not get enough nutrition from the food you eat. The “feeling” of a full bowel: Sometimes, even after passing a bowel movement to the highest extent possible, some patients report feeling like their bowel is not “empty”. While this is a normal sensation to experience from time to time, it can be a sign of an underlying colon problem. When to See a Doctor If you notice any of these symptoms mentioned above consistently, you should schedule an appointment with a licensed physician. Even if your abnormalities are not cancerous, they can be a sign of another serious medical condition that should be addressed. The earlier you recognize a problem, the better chance you have of getting access to effective medical intervention.
What is Colic?
Colic is a rather common condition found in many infants. The temporary ailment often appears after a couple of months of being born. Although the disease is not lethal or dangerous for a baby, it is not pleasant either.
Although researchers do not believe the condition has any permanent effects on an infant’s health, this does not mean that parents will not want to seek a diagnosis.
Who is at Risk for Colic?
This disease can affect any baby, however, some maternal behaviors during pregnancy can contribute to a heightened chance of diagnosis. These behaviors include:
- Substance abuse: including illegal drug use and alcohol.
- Smoking: anything with tobacco.
- Insufficient weight gain: more common in teen pregnancy.
- Medical complications: such as blood pressure problems, diabetes or heart conditions.
Please keep in mind that no baby is immune to colic. The disease often develops in the absence of any risk factors.
Colic Signs and Symptoms
Unfortunately, a baby cannot tell you when they are feeling upset. Instead, you must learn how to identify your infant’s signs of distress.
There are several things that are easily recognizable as something being wrong. Consider going to a doctor if your baby exhibits some of the following symptoms.
Crying Fits
Crying is a baby’s key method of communication. It is their way to let you know something is up. As any parent would tell you, crying is an activity infants do a lot of. Whether they saw something that startled them or needed a diaper change.
Although it may not seem like it sometimes, babies cry for a reason. Unfortunately, sometimes their reasons for crying are not obvious. When there seems to be no visible cause for their distress, there is sometimes something deeper going on. If these seemingly random episodes of crying happen regularly around the same time every evening or night, colic might be to blame. Other times colic-induced crying will likely take place are during feedings or sleeping.
Tense Posture
Signs of distress do not always have to be loud. You can tell a lot about a baby through their body language. Abnormally tense posture is sometimes a sign that something is wrong. A tightened tummy, “fetal position," or tightened fists can also be an indication of colic.
Excessive Flatulence
Farting is a perfectly healthy occurrence in any infant. What is not normal is when your baby cries while it passes gas. If your baby is farting excessively or crying during it, talk to their pediatrician.
Keep in mind that all infants experience colic a little differently. It may be possible that your baby only faces mild symptoms. It is also important to recognize that these symptoms are rather vague. Colic is most often diagnosed after the possibility of other maladies is eliminated.
Babies demonstrating these behaviors may be experiencing a more serious medical condition than colic. Contact a trained medical physician immediately if you ever believe there is something wrong with your child.
What Causes Colic?
Sadly, there is no concrete cause of colic. This does not mean that experts have no idea what is behind this illness. Many researchers believe that flatulence or indigestion plays the role of colic in infants.
These abnormalities could be due to early developmental factors of an infant’s digestive system. For instance, discomfort may occur because their gut is sensitive and immature.
Many of the colic symptoms seem to mimic those of lactose intolerance, urging some doctors to question whether there is an intolerance to the ingredients of breast milk or formula.
Unfortunately, studies have yet to confidently support these claims and there seems to be no difference in colic development between infants who are breastfed and those who are fed with formula.
Colic Treatment
Whether or not you treat colic depends on the severity of the symptoms. If you are dealing with some of the more severe symptoms, there are some solutions you can try.
Eliminating Cow Milk
Depending on how you choose to feed your infant, this can mean one of two things. If you bottle feed, you should look into some hypoallergenic formulas. If you breastfeed, begin a dairy-free diet. This is not guaranteed to help, so if you do not notice any improvements, feel free to go back to your normal lifestyle.
Drops
You should never give your baby anything that is not first approved by a pediatrician. If you believe that your infant needs to have some help in managing their colic symptoms, consider consulting your pediatrician about simethicone or lactose drops. Simethicone drops help reduce the amount of trapped wind while lactose drops help break down enzymes found in milk.
As the condition is not shown to cause any short or long-term deficits, it is often recommended to just wait it out. Colic is only a temporary condition that will go away with a little patience and time.