The word “cancer” tends to make a lot of people uncomfortable, but in fact, cancer rarely occurs without some kind of warning. One of the ways you can discover the signals your body gives you is through the toilet. Checking your urine and stool for any irregularities is a very good idea and if you do that, catching the disease in its early stages is more feasible. Urine and stool are the most common ways our body tells us how healthy we are; if you notice three significant changes in these two, then it becomes very necessary to seek medical assistance.
1. Abnormal Urine or Stool Color
In general, finding blood mixed with your urine or in your stool is the most horrifying thing to realize and thus, you should never turn a blind eye to such a thing.
- Blood in the stool: The bright red or dark stains that look like jam may be the first visual signs of colorectal cancer, especially if you are experiencing abdominal pain, loss of weight without reason, and anemia alongside it. The blood in the stool could also be caused by other things such as hemorrhoids or digestive bleeding, but it is better to have the matter checked immediately.
- Blood in the urine (hematuria): Sometimes, the appearance of hematuria without pain can indicate bladder or kidney cancer. Besides that, the emission of blood in urination can also be the case of prostate cancer in men. When urinating is difficult for you, waking up at night to urinate is frequent, or you suffer from incontinence and there is blood in your urine, see a doctor at once.
2. Unusual Stool Shape
Stool from a healthy individual is supposed to be both shaped and of moderate firmness.
- Thinner or ribbon-like stool: The one that is thin or ribbon-like can talk of a narrowing or blockage of the intestine and this, logically, could be due to a tumor. In this case, cancer of the colon is often the reason.
- Dry, pellet-like stool: If the condition of the stool is far from normal, it may prompt the digestive system to come up with its own explanation and among the possibilities are bowel cancer if the toileting is rarely accompanied by other symptoms.
- Loose, oily, or light-colored stools: PERSISTENT stools that are hard to flush, mostly accompanied by belly pains and weight loss, might be indicative of pancreatic cancer or digestive diseases.
3. Long-Lasting Diarrhea
Experiencing diarrhea for a short time is not uncommon, and it can usually go away by itself. Nevertheless, the idea of persistent or even alternating diarrhea and constipation, particularly when coupled with blood, pain, loss of appetite or jaundice, can be a sign of a more serious problem:
- Intestinal, stomach, pancreatic, or liver cancer can all cause extended changes in bowel movements.
- Early morning diarrhea or poorly controlled bowel habits in someone over 40 may warrant special attention.
What Should You Do?
In case you find any of these persisting changes, such as the presence of blood in urine or stool, abnormal stool shape, and continuous diarrhea, arrange a checkup without delay. There is a great variety of conditions which may be completely harmless; however, only a doctor can definitively exclude dangerous causes and provide the necessary treatment advice. At the time these signs manifest, it is recommended that you do not delay your visit to the doctor or attempt to treat yourself.
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