Colon Polyps Symptoms
Colon polyp’s symptoms may not be noticeable if they are small polyps and usually are only discovered during an examination of your bowel.
Colon polyps grow in the large intestine. A polyp is extra tissue that grows inside your body. The large intestine, also called the colon, is part of your digestive system. It's a long, hollow tube at the end of your digestive tract where your body makes and stores stool.
Most polyps are not dangerous. Most are benign, which means they are not cancer. But over time, some types of polyps can turn into cancer. Usually, polyps that are smaller than a pea aren't harmful. But larger polyps could someday become cancer or may already be cancer. To be safe, doctors remove all polyps and test them.
Symptoms of Colon Polyps
Most small polyps don't cause symptoms. Often, people don't know they have one until the doctor finds it during a regular checkup or while testing them for something else. But some people do have symptoms like these:
- Blood in your stool. Blood can make your stool appear black, or it may show up as red streaks. Certain foods can also affect the color of your bowel movements. Iron supplements and some anti-diarrheal medications — Pepto-Bismol is one example — can make stools black. Beets and red licorice can turn stools red.
- Rectal bleeding. You might notice bright red blood on toilet paper after you've had a bowel movement. Although this may be a sign of colon polyps, rectal bleeding can indicate other conditions, such as hemorrhoids or minor tears (fissures) in your anus. Hemorrhoids don't usually bleed consistently over a period of weeks, however, so if your bleeding is prolonged, be sure to tell your doctor.
- Pain or obstruction. Sometimes a large colon polyp may partially obstruct your bowel, leading to crampy abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting and severe constipation.
- Constipation or diarrhea. Although a change in bowel habits that lasts longer than a week may indicate the presence of a large colon polyp, it can also result from a number of other conditions. Your doctor can help find the cause.
See your doctor right away if you notice blood in your stool, a change in your bowel habits that lasts longer than a week or abdominal pain. And if you're at high risk, don't wait until symptoms
appear.
Colon Polyps Symptoms to P
|
