Lately, colorectal cancer is one of the most talked issues on social media due to the passing away of one of the most well-known celebrities that is Chadwick Boseman. He died at the age of 43 because of Colon Cancer.
In general, there are approximately 140,00 people got diagnosed with this type of cancer in America. One of the most obvious symptoms for Colon Cancer would be rectal bleeding but there are other symptoms that might have happened without you noticing it. These are 5 of the silent symptoms for Colon Cancer and please talk to your doctor if you encounter with these symptoms.
1) You Experiencing Anemia
Got diagnosed with anemia might be the early symptom that you’re bleeding from the inside, even though other symptoms for colon cancer cant be seen. According to Patricia Raymond, MD, a gastroenterologist in Virginia Beach, Virginia, “It’s not uncommon for people to bleed internally for up to six months before anything shows up in the stool”. If these signs of anemia, such as fatigue, skin pallor, or dizziness occur, you are advised to see a doctor for further consultation as these might be colon cancer symptoms.
2) Hard To Catch Your Breath
Other side effect that people take so lightly and it might be a slow process for internal bleeding is the shortness of breath. Dr. Raymond said, “If you aren’t bleeding in a huge amount or even vomiting blood, your body tends to put more cell plasma in your own blood without producing more iron or even red blood cells”. This might not sound dangerous because it prevents you from losing blood in large volumes but it is actually reduces blood’s ability to carry the most important thing for the human body and that is oxygen. That is why you might having shortness of breath once in a while. This is important because people tend to overlook this as a colon cancer symptoms.
3) Severe Constipation
Experiencing the pain of constipation a bit here and there is probably nothing to worry about because it might not lead to something serious, but we still have to be aware because it could be one of the symptoms of colon cancer if it becomes severe and persistent day by day.Dr. Holcombe said, “This is something that is suggestive of some sort of obstruction, and if it seems to be there all the time you should get it checked out”.
4) Pass Skinny Tool
This thing might be so simple to do, yet so many people is not aware about it. That is, you can pay attention to what’s in the toilet, even if you don’t see blood. This is because, it can reveal lesser-known of the colon cancer symptoms. Talking about your stool, if your stool shape is consistently very narrow or skinny and it is different from you previous tool that is chunkier, that could point to a restriction in the colon caused by polyps, says Dr. Raymond. Other than that, persistent diarrhea may also be one of the silent symptoms of colon cancer.
5) Stool That Is Weird In Color
If you are bleeding from the rectum, it will usually come out red in color. Other than that, dark and tarry stools could also be a sign that there’s probably some blood in there too. While it could be caused by something less serious because it varies, like an ulcer, this might also be one of the symptoms of colon cancer, says Dr. Holcombe.
Sources: Reader’s Digest.