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.
Growth Hormone Deficiency in Adults
Contrary to popular belief, our bodies do not stop growing once we exit our pubescent years. Even as adults, our bodies grow in more ways than one. Sure, the growth hormone our body creates doesn’t make us grow taller, but it allows us to build our muscles and helps the body collect fat. It also contributes to healthy brain function. Sometimes, growth hormone deficiency in adults can happen.
This growth hormone is secreted by our pituitary gland and released directly into our blood. From there, it is transported to all corners of the body. This process continues throughout our lives and is an essential component of any person’s healthy body function. That’s why a growth hormone deficiency in adults can be reasonably alarming and should be dealt with promptly.
Is There Any Way to Increase Hormone Levels Naturally?
To put it simply, no. As we grow older, our body functions level off and work at a steady pace. If your body does not create any hormones, it requires more than a basic food cleanse to get its levels up.
Nevertheless, some foods can improve your hormone levels if you take them regularly with your treatment. Here’s a shortlist you should include in your diet:
1. Melatonin-Rich Foods
This includes cherries, goji berries, eggs, milk, fish, nuts and raspberries. Melatonin-rich foods improve growth hormone levels by providing essential nutrients, such as vitamin D and more.
2. Pineapple
Increasing your hormone levels is a job for multiple characters. In this case, this duty falls on other hormones to increase your body’s growth hormone levels. Pineapples provide the body with one essential hormone, serotonin, which relaxes you and allows your body to create growth hormones.
3. Proteins
Proteins are generally crucial for your overall health. In terms of growth hormone production, proteins, such as beef, contribute a compound called synthesise L-orthinine, which raises your hormone levels way over baseline levels.
4. Vegan Options
That’s right; nothing works better than dependable soybeans if you want to improve your growth hormones quickly. Soybeans provide an amino acid called L-arginine that works quickly to increase your growth hormone levels.
A Note on Growth Hormone Production
Despite all these details, there is only one thing that truly works magic on your growth hormone levels, and that is sleep. Our body releases growth hormones during sleep, particularly in the early hours of the night.
So, if your body is aching all over and feeling stiff and tired, a good night’s sleep might just be what the doctor ordered.
Determining Growth Hormone Deficiency
A deficiency in growth hormone production dramatically affects your health and well-being in more ways than one. Remember, every component of your body is interconnected. If there is a severe deficiency, this will present in your physical and mental state. Some symptoms you may experience include:
- Less muscle mass.
- Less stamina and ability to exercise without resting.
- Anxiety and depression.
- Reduced sexual function.
- Fatigue.
- Higher levels of fat around the stomach area.
- Sensitivity to cold and heat.
- A feeling of isolation from people.
- Decreased bone density and susceptibility to bone fractures.
- Changes in blood cholesterol.
- Higher than normal levels in low-density lipoproteins.
- High triglyceride levels.
Children Can Be Affected Too
A lack of growth hormones is not necessarily limited to adults. Even children can experience a decrease in growth hormone production. If there is any damage to the pituitary gland through trauma or tumor, that can impact your hormone levels.
Diagnosing Growth Hormone Deficiency
Typically, if you experience symptoms related to growth hormone therapy, your first step should be to go to the doctor.
Your doctor may recommend you to an endocrinologist to confirm the prognosis. They may order an MRI to get an accurate reading.
Once that is done, that is when your doctor may diagnose you with growth hormone deficiency and prescribe further tests to determine how advanced your condition is.
Treating Growth Hormone Deficiency
Once the doctor confirms a growth hormone deficiency, they will form a treatment plan. They may prescribe you a daily dose to get your growth hormones on a stable level. This is generally done through hormone injections. Once the course is complete, the patient must attend a monitoring and blood test to see whether the injections work.
Doctors usually do not prescribe injections that may take your growth hormone levels above the average level. However, if you begin experiencing swelling, joint or muscle pain, numbness and general pain in your hands from carpal tunnel syndrome, tell your doctor straight away so they can lower your dosage.
Conclusion
Remember that our bodies experience a range of common symptoms, so you might mistake your growth hormone deficiency for something else. Your best chance is to get a doctor’s appointment and get a check-up done. Only then will you be able to correct your body’s hormone levels and live life as fully as you want.