I’m a doctor and here’s why looking in the loo could save your life
IF you’ve just done a number two then the last thing you really want to do is check on the smelly result. But one doctor has revealed how having a glance in the toilet could in fact save your life. Posting to TikTok, Dr Karan Rajan explained that your poo could be the secret to […]
IF you’ve just done a number two then the last thing you really want to do is check on the smelly result.
But one doctor has revealed how having a glance in the toilet could in fact save your life.
Posting to TikTok, Dr Karan Rajan explained that your poo could be the secret to serious health conditions.
He explained: “One of the most obvious signs of bowel cancer is blood in your poo.
“You won’t know it’s there unless you’re looking for it.
“As well as that, the colour, shape and consistency of your poo can be warning signs of medical conditions.
“So the next time you poop, take a peep.”
Writing in the comments section, he also joked that you should ‘check before you wreck’.
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The NHS states that a small bit of bleeding that happens just once from the bottom isn’t usually cause for concern but that if you’re worried you should go and get it checked.
You could have rectal bleeding if there is blood on your toilet paper, red streaks on the outside of your poo or pink water in the toilet bowel.
Official guidance also states you should look out for blood in your poo, bloody diarrhoea or a very dark smelly poo.
There are many reasons you might be bleeding from the bum, and the most common is that you’ve been a little too aggressive with the wiping.
Anal fissures, which are small tears in the lining of the anus, can also lead to rectal bleeding.
Hemorrhoids and ulcers can also cause bleeding, but one of the most serious reasons for blood from the bottom is bowel cancer.
More than 42,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with this cancer each year.
What is bowel cancer?
Bowel cancer is where the disease starts in the large intestines.
It’s also referred to as colon or colorectal cancer, because it can also affect the colon and rectum.
Most bowel cancers develop from pre-cancerous growths, called polyps.
Not all will turn cancerous, but if your doctor finds any, they will tend to remove them to prevent cancer.
Bowel cancer is the fourth most common form of the disease in the UK, with 42,000 people diagnosed every year, according to Bowel Cancer UK.
More than 94 per cent of new cases are in people over the age of 50, while nearly 59 per cent are in the over 70s.
But bowel cancer can affect anyone, of any age with more than 2,500 cases diagnosed in people under the age of 50 each year.
It can strike anyone at any age, but it is treatable and curable if caught early.
Bowel cancer, also known as colon cancer, is the second deadliest form of the disease in the UK.
Early diagnosis saves lives and is why The Sun launched the No Time 2 Lose campaign in April 2018, calling on the Government to lower the screening age for the disease from 60 to 50.
Bowel Cancer UK also previously launched its ‘Never Too Young’ campaign after it was revealed that millions of people were unaware that you could get bowel cancer under the age of 50.
One of the most obvious red flags when it comes to bowel cancer is finding blood in your stool.
Bowel Cancer UK says: “There are several possible causes of bleeding from your bottom or blood in your bowel movements (poo).
“Bright red blood may come from swollen blood vessels (haemorrhoids or piles) in your back passage. It may also be caused by bowel cancer.
“Dark red or black blood may come from your bowel or stomach. Tell your doctor about any bleeding so they can find out what is causing it.”
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