Bowel cancer symptoms include weight loss, stomach pain, and feeling very tired for no obvious reason. But you could also be at risk of the disease if you notice small changes to your daily toilet routine. How often do you use the bathroom? These are the bowel cancer signs in your poo.
Several medical conditions can cause tenesmus.
These include inflammatory bowel disease, bowel cancer and disorders that affect how muscles move food through the gut.
The condition can be painful, especially if there is cramping or other digestive symptoms alongside it.
The symptoms can come and go, or they may persist long term.
Tenesmus often refers to cramping rectal pain and gives a person the feeling that they need to have a bowel movement, even if they’re already had one.
You should see your GP if your change in bowel habit persists for more than four weeks.
But just because you notice a subtle change to your bowel habit, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have bowel cancer.
The doctor will assess whether you may be at risk of the disease by asking about your symptoms, and whether you have a family history of bowel cancer.
Your GP could subsequently refer you to a specialist for further investigation.
