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.
Neuromyelitis Optica Symptoms and Diagnosis Process
Neuromyelitis optica or Devic’s disease is rare, affecting 4,000 people in the U.S. and about a quarter of a million people worldwide.
Considering its rarity, not many people are educated enough to understand what this disease entails. However, this detail shows precisely why we educate people on it.
The symptoms of Devic’s disease are quite similar to various common symptoms people experience. Knowing about neuromyelitis optica will help you prevent any further damage if it can be diagnosed early on.
What is Neuromyelitis Optica?
Also known as NMO, neuromyelitis optica is an autoimmune condition in which the body’s immune system attacks the body’s healthy tissues surrounding the spinal cord and optical nerves. It also affects the brain in some cases.
Devic’s disease is not a hereditary condition. However, if you have a family history of autoimmune disorders, you will be more likely to develop neuromyelitis optica. There is also no age limit to the condition, and in most cases, NMO strikes during the patient’s childhood years. But, it is strangely more common in patients in their 40s, perhaps because of a decline in their immune system response.
NMO targets a substance known as myelin, which creates insulation around the optic nerves and spinal cord. Unfortunately, we do not know what triggers this condition. Research is scant because of the condition’s rarity. However, many think NMO appears after the patient suffers from an infection that triggers the autoimmune disease.
In many cases, patients with neuromyelitis optica are misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), but the symptoms for NMO differ from that of MS.
Types of Neuromyelitis Optica
Before learning about the symptoms of NMO, let’s discuss the types.
There are two types of neuromyelitis optica that people experience:
- Relapsing NMO
- Monophasic NMO
Relapsing NMO
This is a more common condition.
Patients with relapsing NMO experience the initial attack, which inflames the spinal cord and optic nerve. This is then followed by a series of attacks that span over several years.
Damage from relapsing NMO is permanent, and more often, people do not recover fully from this attack on the nerve. As a result, patients experience disability and require additional help and assistance. Relapsing NMO affects females more than males.
Monophasic NMO
This type of NMO affects both genders equally.
Monophasic NMO causes a limited number of attacks to occur more closely together over days or weeks. There is no long-term threat that the body may experience more attacks in the future.
Because of this limited period, most patients recover more quickly from the effects, but monophasic NMO is rare, so most patients should be wary of any future attacks if they experience an initial episode.
Symptoms of NMO
We know that NMO damages the spinal cord and optic nerve.
Inflammation of the spinal cord occurs because of a process known as transverse myelitis. So, a patient may experience the following symptoms during a singular attack:
- Heavy and weak limbs, sometimes causing total paralysis.
- Problems with urination, changes in urination patterns, urinary incontinence, frequent urination and difficulty urinating.
- Constipation.
- Altered sensitivity, such as numbness, tingling, feeling of coldness or burning and sensitivity to temperature.
Alongside these symptoms, the patients may also experience symptoms related to optic nerve inflammation, called optic neuritis. These symptoms include:
- Swelling of the optic disc.
- Lowered sensitivity to color.
- Temporary loss of eyesight with a risk of permanent loss of vision in at least one eye.
- Eye pain that is affected by movement, getting more severe after a week, then resolving within a few days.
A person who experiences a singular mild attack of NMO can recover from these symptoms, even completely, and have no relapses ever. But the chances of that are low. Many will experience multiple attacks, leading to lifelong disability.
Diagnosing Neuromyelitis Optica
As stated before, diagnosing NMO can be difficult because its symptoms are similar to that of other conditions and diseases, including:
- Viral infections.
- Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).
- Acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (ADEM).
- Mixed connective tissue disorder (MCTD).
- Paraneoplastic optic neuropathy (inflammation linked to cancer).
- MS.
To separate these results from NMO, professional physicians may recommend the following tests to get a confirmed diagnosis:
- Blood test, specifically to check for NMO IgG, an antibody.
- Spinal tap or lumbar puncture to check NMO-specific proteins and levels of white blood cell.
- MRI to check for lesions and damage to the brain.
Post-Diagnosis Treatment
There is no treatment for NMO. However, you will be able to get some treatment for the related symptoms.
Taking your present condition into account, your doctor may prescribe oral steroids. If that does not present any positive results, they may switch you to plasma exchange therapy.
If your immune system responds aggressively, your doctor may suggest an immune suppressant. However, such medications can have plenty of side effects, so the patient must be prepared.
Final Thoughts
NMO can be debilitating for everyone, whether they experience the condition in childhood or adulthood.
The best way to treat this condition is by learning about it, especially if you are susceptible. Knowing that you are vulnerable to such disorders now will not only help you prepare for the future, but it may also prevent your symptoms from getting worse.