Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Prevent Colon Cancer With 5 Easy Ways

Research studies are now going on how best to prevent colon cancer as more and more people are diagnosed with this condition today. It is found that colon cancer usually starts in the large intestine, also known as colon, or the rectum. Colon cancer then develops from dead cells that have been accumulated in a lump over a period of time. The risk to getting colon cancer increases if you have a genetic medical background of parents or close relatives who have been diagnosed with colon cancer. Research also showed that that colon cancer is aggravated by unhealthy diets such as ready meals and fast food.

Prevent Colon CancerHence, it is vital that you seek the advice of your doctor should you feel the discomfort of colon cancer symptoms. The symptoms to look out for include unhealthy bowel occurrence such as diarrhea, constipation or bowel infection, severe pain in abdomen, blood in the stools, narrow stools, anemia, intestinal obstruction and drastic loss of weight.

Prevention is still better than cure. So you really should consider the following 5 ways on how best to prevent colon cancer:

1. Adopt healthy habits. Colon cancer usually develops over a length of period before it actually shows. Hence you should not wait till you notice the symptoms of colon cancer before starting to adopt healthy habits. Eat healthy meals, exercise and have an adequate amount of sleep.

If your diet contains too much high fat and red meats with little fiber, you are definitely at a high risk of developing colon cancer. Fat accumulates on the walls of the intestine and rectum, forming lumps of dead cells. You should therefore adopt a balanced natural diet which includes lots of green vegetables, fruits and water.

Exercise helps by flushing out harmful toxins and waste matter which if left accumulated in your body can cause cancerous growth.

2. Know your family medical history. It appears that colon cancer is a genetic disease that is hereditary. As such, if you belong to the high risk category due to your family history, then you should take extra precautions by leading a healthy lifestyle.

3. Stop smoking. Chain smoking increases your chance to developing colon cancer. Inhaling tobacco can easily transfer carcinogen (a cancer agent) to your colon and rectum, thus resulting in colon cancer. Hence, do not hesitate to find ways to quit smoking.

4. Reduce exposure to radiation. Excessive exposure to radiation has been found to cause colon cancer. Radiation rays are harmful and can render healthy normal cells abnormal. By all means, avoid unnecessary X-rays, CT scans, mammograms so that you can best prevent colon cancer.

5. If you observe that you are experiencing symptoms like skin allergies, weak immune system, poor movement of bowels, bloating, etc, then it may be that you have too much toxins in your body. Consider colon cleansing as a way of detoxification. There are a couple of ways to perform colon cleansing. These include consuming herbs for colon cleansing and colon hydrotherapy.

Sandra Kim Leong shares about the importance of colon cleansing. Aside from tips on colon cleansing, she also writes on detox cleansing, detox diets and liver cleansing. For free articles and tips, please visit http://www.detox-cleansing.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandra_Kim_Leong

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Apparent Signs and Symptoms of Colon Cancer - Be Watchful!

Signs and symptoms of colon cancer are visible during the late years. Those who are experiencing these symptoms should immediately consult a doctor for proper diagnosis. Ignoring such signs and symptoms and without the immediate and proper diagnosis, the appropriate management for the illness can not be started in due time and there are possibilities that these might lead to complications or metastasis.

Colon CancerAccording to updates in studies and discoveries, the numbers of victims rises rapidly for the past 30 years. Records showed that most of those afflicted sufferers were in the age range of 30-50 years old. The most visible causes of this threat were addictive smoking, aging, family history, unbalanced diet, and some problems such as history of polyps in the body.

The onset of the signs and symptoms of this illness usually appears as early as in mid-thirties of age and can be noted also on later years. In most cases, a tumor can grow for years before you see any signs of colon cancer, therefore, it is best to have regular screenings or check-up rather than taking for granted the possible signs and symptoms of the ailment. Finding out and knowing what is wrong could be scary but this helps a lot in making right decisions.

You must take into considerations the different irregularities of your body processes because it may be the signs that you might be having an illness such as cancer.

The following are the most apparent signs of colon cancer

• thin stools/loosely formed
• stomach cramps/pain
• blood-stained feces
• unexplained weight loss
• feeling tired easily
• feeling like you have to "go" when you don't/urges in defecating

Colon cancer screening is vitally important in preventing it, although it can be uncomfortable. This is because in the early stages, people with such illness (colon cancer), typically have no symptoms at all and the cancer cells has spread beyond the colon, by the time a person learned of his/her ailment, treatment can be difficult and often impossible to cure.

Colon cancer screening is the single most important step you can take to reduce your risk. Routine screening identifies growths in the colon that may turn into cancer if they aren't removed. These growths, referred to as polyps or adenomas, are precursors to the disease. This means they show up in the colon years before it develops; they serve as a sort of "early warning" system. It is very rare that it occurs without first appearing as a polyp or adenoma.

This pathway-from a single pre-cancerous cell in the colon, to a visible polyp or adenoma, to colon cancer itself-is what makes screening so effective for this disease. The time between pre-cancer and cancer give doctors plenty of time to find, and most important, to treat and to remove these growths before they eventually become malignant growth (cancer). Therefore, screening must be done as early as possible to detect cells which would later on be malignant.

Educating oneself on the issues of colon cancer will be a great help for us to be aware of its signs/symptoms/diagnosis/treatment or management and the best is knowing measures on its preventions such as eating proper diet, enough rest, healthy lifestyle and clean living.

Learn more about the symptoms of colon cancer and colon cancer treatments.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michael_J._Price


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Colorectal Cancer Symptoms - How to Identify Colorectal Cancer Symptoms

If you know a thing or two about colorectal cancer or colon cancer in short, the colorectal cancer symptoms often do not show up during its early stages. They often happen or show up later making it complicated to treat. Most people do not feel much pain during the earliest stages and often ignore the common signs that could signal something more serious. It pays to know more about the common colorectal cancer symptoms so that you can better protect your health and your family's well-being.

Colorectal Cancer
Colorectal Cancer Symptoms

1. Pain or Discomfort in the Stomach

2. Blood in Stool or Discolored/Black Stool

3. Change in Bowel Habits and Frequency. You may be going to the washroom more often and feeling that your bowels are still not emptied totally.

4. Weariness or Fatigue

5. Acute or Noticeable Weight Loss

Colorectal cancer symptoms often show up in the later stages and may affect the victim in different ways. It really depends on where the cancer appears and how big it is.

If it appears on the cecum and ascending colon, which is the first and second portion of the colon on the right side of your abdomen, then common colorectal cancer symptoms could include bleeding in this area, blood in stool, anemia, fatigue etc. The danger of the cancer appearing here is that the amount of blood is so little that your stool may look normal. If the colon cancer appears on the third part, transverse colon, it could cause abdominal cramps or what we call stomach cramps in laymen terms.

The fourth part or S-shaped colon and the fifth part form the descending part of the colon. Cancer here can cause the stools to be smaller and thinner. The appearance of blood is more prominent and obvious.

That said, having such symptoms are not a sure thing that you are suffering from cancer. There are many reasons why such colorectal cancer symptoms look-alike appears. It could simply mean that you re suffering from irritable bowel syndrome, diarrhea causing infections, inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn's disease, bleeding hemorrhoids and rectum ulcers.

Protect yourself and your family from the attacks of colon cancer. Discover more detailed colon cancer prevention and treatment tips to understand colorectal cancer.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Davion_Wong

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Sunday, July 18, 2010

7 Major Symptoms of Colon Cancer Demystified

The symptoms of colon cancer are not necessarily present in the initial stage of the problem. Most of the times they do not appear or are hard to detect until the problem reach to an advanced stage.

Colon CancerHowever, it is always better to know about those which can be detected. Mentioned below are some known symptoms of colon cancer. In case if any of the mentioned symptoms is present for more than a week, do seek advice of your physician about the screening for colon cancer.
Change in Bowel Habits

Tumor in the bowel brings an observed change in the habits like defecating. With the growth of tumor, you may feel the need of defecating less often and the large size of tumor will lead to constipation.

The only way to know this is to get regular screening done instead of waiting for the symptoms to appear on the surface.

Thinned Stool

The presence of tumor causes obstruction and with the growth of obstruction there is reduction in the space around. In case the tumor is present at the side of the colon tube passage, it may result into the narrowing of the stool.
Cramping or Bloating in the Stomach

Another symptom in the list of colon cancer symptoms is bloating or cramping in the stomach. Boating may be due to a bowel obstruction while cramping may be the result of constipation or diarrhea. In the advanced stages of colon cancer, tumor perforating i.e. poking through near the wall of the bowel, can lead to extreme abdominal cramping.
Blood in the Stool

There may be blood in the stool which is due to the bleeding of the tumor. Nevertheless, if the tumor is present in the right colon, it is very much possible that the blood will dry up before the faeces are removed from the body. But if it is towards the left or in the rectum, it may remain fresh and thus will appear bright red.
Inexplicable Weight Loss

If you are losing weight without making any deliberate efforts, it is really something to ponder over. Often one has weight loss due to the fact that something wrong is going in the body. However, in colorectal cancer, unexplained loss in weight is one of the colon cancer symptoms and it indicates that the bowel is being blocked at some place, along the passage, by a tumor.
Exhaustion and Feelings of Fatigue

You are having proper sleep but still feel exhausted. There may be more than one reason and work load may not be the obvious one. The first possibility is that it may be due to anemia which takes place if the red blood cells are not able to carry sufficient oxygen as much they are required to. Consequently, you might feel exhausted. But it may also be due to tumors. Tumors can also be the cause of anemia.

Feel Like to Defecate but Not

You may feel like to go for defecation but you do not. This kind of sensation in the body may take place due to a tumor growing in the end of the colon or rectum.

The best option is to have screening for colon cancer on regular basis instead of depending on appearance of colon cancer symptoms.

Are You Ready For a Toxic-Free Colon? You are about to know what your colon must know about the colon cleansing herbs using proven colon cleanse recipes. Discover the truth by visiting http://www.coloncleansingonline.com, a popular website that offers straightforward facts and advices on colon detoxification.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Angel_CH

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3 Colon Cancer Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore!

There are 3 particular colon cancer warning signs that are very important. They are signs you should not ignore at all.

Why are they important? Here's why... A tumor that forms in either your colon or rectum normally grows quite slowly. Because of its slow growth, it doesn't show any sign or symptom for a long period of time.

Colon CancerWhat happens more often than not is... when colorectal cancer is diagnosed, it is already at its advanced stage. This is unfortunate because colorectal tumor at stage 4 is extremely difficult to treat. It requires more than 1 treatment and the survival rate is poor. So, what signs should you look out for? Be aware of the following colon cancer warning signs like...

Persistent Fatigue

Fatigue is described as the physical feeling of extreme tiredness or weakness. It can mean other medical conditions but if it is persistent, it can mean cancer. It is one of the signs of late stage cancer of any type.

However, in colon cancer, fatigue can be an early symptom. In fact, it can be your only symptom.

How does this happen? Fatigue is caused by occult bleeding inside your colon or rectum. Occult bleeding is invisible -- something you can't see. Fatigue is also a symptom that is first noticed by you and nobody else. Thus, fatigue is a very important symptom. See your doctor if you feel very,very tired for more than a week even after going on a vacation.

Persistent Diarrhea

Persistent Constipation

Both are unusual changes in your bowel habits. Why are they considered as unusual changes?

Here's why...Let's say you move your bowel once a day regularly everyday. But now you move it either 2 to 3 times daily or 2 to 3 times in a week. This is abnormal particularly if diarrhea or constipation happens persistently.

What does persistent diarrhea or constipation mean? Persistent constipation alone means there might be a tumor at your rectum which is located next to your anus. A rectal tumor will cause an obstruction against the stool. You will experience difficulty in moving your bowel. Persistent diarrhea and constipation that occur alternately mean a tumor at the left colon which is the descending section.

Why is this so? The left section of the colon has a narrower circumference compared to the right section. The stool is semi-solid and the tumor if situated at the left section typically wraps around the colon. This leads to diarrhea and constipation.

These are just 3 of the signs you should be aware of. There are other important colon cancer warning signs -- such as the color of your stool -- you should know about.

If you would like to read more about them, see Warning Signs of Colon Tumor.

About The Author: Belen Tanghal is a health enthusiast and believes prevention is the key to winning the war against cancer. Her website at http://www.your-cancer-prevention-guide.com/ offers easy-to-comprehend information why cancer starts and steps on prevention.

(Permission is granted to reprint this article, unedited, provided proper attribution is made and the signature line -- the above resource paragraph -- is kept intact.)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Belen_Tanghal

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Knowing The Signs Of Colon Cancer Can Save Your Life!

Any kind of cancer is almost synonymous with disease and death and colon cancer, also referred to as colorectal cancer, is another such dangerous disease. It develops innocuously, often without any forewarning and very often there is an absence of any obvious symptoms. Give the prevalence of this disease it is important that every individual, especially those who are high risk, should arm themselves with adequate knowledge about the signs of colon cancer as well as the treatment options available.

Colon CancerSymptoms of colon cancer include presence of blood in the stools and bleeding of the rectum. Some of the other signs of colon cancer could include change in bowel regularity, benign polyps in the colon, a decrease in stool size, cramps, unexplained weight loss, vomiting, the existence of pain in the stomach and continuous fatigue. These are the signs you should look for if you suspect that you could possibly be developing colon cancer.

But the unfortunate truth is that an individual can have colon cancer and not exhibit any of the mentioned symptoms. Unfortunately, this happens way too often. A physical exam usually doesn't show any problems and the doctor only suspects colon cancer and calls for a screening if a routine exam reveals a mass of tissues that is usually felt through the abdomen. Currently a screening of the colon, or a colonoscopy is the only way of getting a view of the entire colon and determining the extent of the abnormality.

Even then, polyps within the colon are not always suggestive of cancer. Colon cancer's symptoms are further ambiguous as even blood in the stool isn't always suggestive of colon cancer. It is thus reasonable for the medical industry to assign risk factors to certain events in an individual's life. One of these events is an individual's age. A person's age is the major risk factor even though colon cancer doesn't only occur for those over fifty. It is just that one's chances are higher at that age when most signs and symptoms of colon cancer tend to appear.

Individuals who are high risk for colon cancer include those who have a family history of cancer, irrespective of the kind of cancer. Polyps that are in the colon are also signs of colon cancer, but must be properly diagnosed by a health professional.

If you are above the age fifty, and wish to know more about colon cancer, the Center for Disease Control has a program for those individuals who are more than fifty years of age and who have little or no health insurance. The number to call for any help, is 1-800-4-CANCER. Since colon cancer is such a widespread problem, the program helps to offer screenings for the disease. There are estimates that over 52,000 people lost their lives to colon and rectal cancer in 2007 in the United States alone. Learning to recognize the signs of colon cancer is the best cure against this killer disease.

You can find even more information at Signs Of Colon Cancer for even more information go to Signs Of Colon Cancer. Much more information all for free.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sandy_Griffin

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Colon Cancer Symptoms - How to Know If You Have Colorectal Cancer

Colon cancer is a serious disease characterized by abnormal cell growth in the colon, which creates a cancerous tumor. This kind of illness ranks third in the list of the most common forms of cancer and are most often prevalent in people over 50 years old, but can occur in patients of any age.

Colon CancerCancers of the colon, or of the rectum, are highly treatable if they are diagnosed in the early stages of the disease. However, many people often are not diagnosed in time as early symptoms are not always recognized and, when they are, people are somewhat hesitant to discuss the details of their symptoms with a doctor.

The symptoms include:

1. Abdominal pain, bloating, or discomfort
2. Bloody stool
3. Long, thin stool (often described as pencil-like)
4. Unintended weight loss
5. Loss of appetite
6. Changes in normal bowel habits (rectal bleeding, diarrhea, constipation, or feeling an inability to completely empty the bowel).

Each year nearly 150,000 new cases of this disease are reported. There is no identifiable cause for it, but the following are some of the factors that may increase the risk of its development:

* Gender (Both men and women are equally prone to developing the malady. However, men tend to develop the rectal version at slightly higher rates, while women are more prone to the colon variety)
* Age (The sickness can be developed at any age, but the chances are increased in people over the age of 50 years old.)
* Diabetes
* Obesity
* Cigarette smoking
* Alcohol consumption
* Poor diet
* Family history
* Personal history.

People with a family history of colorectal cancer are slightly more prone to developing it. If more than one family member has been diagnosed with the problem, the risk is even higher. Also, diets high in calories and fat, and low in fiber add to an increased risk of developing the disorder. Anyone over the age of 50 should undergo regular screening for the disorder, but anyone in any of the above risk groups should begin earlier.

Screening normally consists of an annual rectal exam, including stool samples. Some exams may require a scope to be inserted into the rectum in order to view the entire bowel. If there is cause for concern or further examination of the colon's tissue, a biopsy may be ordered for a closer analysis. If cancer is discovered, other tests, such as an ultrasound, CT scan or X-ray would be done in order to determine whether it has spread to other areas. Of particular concern is the liver as it is one of the more likely places that this dangerous disease spreads to.

Because the risk can be reduced by a high fiber diet, proper weight management (including exercise) and by not smoking, it is highly recommended that people opt for healthier lifestyles and decrease their chances of developing this type of life threatening ailment, and others, as much as possible.

Anyone who has experienced some of the previously mentioned symtoms, or who are in one of the risks groups for the disease, is advised to seek screening tests as early as possible since colorectal cancer responds very well to treatment in the earliest stages.

Ken Black is an expert online health writer and product reviewer. So, what can you do to avoid colorectal cancer? Study Colon Cancer Symptoms and review these 10 tips on how to prevent colorectal cancer at http://www.coloncleansechoices.com/How-To-Prevent-Colon-Cancer.html

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Symptoms of Colon Cancer

The colon is an important part of the human body. It is part of the digestive system, and it is a very important part because it plays a very important role in the digestive system of the human body. It plays a major role in helping the body absorb much needed nutrients, minerals and water in the body. The colon also plays a role in ridding the body of waste in the form of stool. The colon is the last part of the large intestine; it is about 6 feet in length. Colon cancer is the cancer that affects the cells of the colon. It is a very common form of cancer in both men and women all over the world. It is the third most common form of cancer affecting humans. Although this form of cancer is life threatening, it is a very treatable disease if diagnosed early and treated in its early stages.

Colon PolypsTherefore it is very important for us to know the signs and symptoms of colon cancer. If we feel that we might be suffering from the cancer of the colon we should get our self tested and seen to by a qualified health care professional at the earliest and start treatment to cure the disease. One problem with colon cancer is that early detection is very difficult because most of the symptoms of colon cancer are not very noticeable in the early stages of the disease. Some people might not even notice any symptoms until it is too late. Regardless of this fact we should be aware of the disease and the symptoms it might cause to know if it is affecting us, we should also get ourselves screened regularly to be sure that we are not suffering from any disease, especially if we are in a high risk group. Look out for the following symptoms and consult your doctor at the earliest if you notice anything out of the ordinary.

The biggest symptom of colon cancer is changes in the bowel movement. Bowel habits changing for more than a few days will indicate a problem. If you have diarrhea for more than a week or constipation for more than two weeks it should sound an alarm. You should also notice consistency of your bowel movement as that can also indicate a problem.

The presence of blood in your stool should be dealt with very seriously, even if it is not colon cancer, it is sign for concern and should be checked out immediately by your doctor.

Abdominal pain can be a sign of worry, and it is a symptom of the same, if you have pain for a long time get to a doctor as soon as possible. Cramps and gas for a long duration can also indicate problems with the colon.

Abdominal pain, before, during and after a bowel movement is a sign for concern as well especially if it is persistent. If you are feeling that you can not comfortably empty your bowel and it becomes regular, that could indicate a problem as well.

Unexplained weight loss always indicates some medical problem even if it is not colon cancer proper diagnosis is required for optimum health. Weakness and exhaustion due to no reason should indicate a problem with your health; it is also a symptom for colon cancer.

Although these symptoms may indicate that you are suffering from colon cancer, they could be caused by other medical conditions as well, if you see any of these symptoms or a combination of these symptoms, get yourself screened for colon cancer. Even if you are not suffering from colon cancer a proper diagnosis will lead to a cure for whatever disease or ailment is affecting you in a negative manner. Look after your health and get regular checkups to lead a healthy life.

Author Uttoran Sen is a regular health writer, for more details on symptoms of colon cancer, please check out health cave.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Uttoran_Sen

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Colon Cancer and Colon Cancer Symptoms

Cancer of the colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in America. There are certain signs and manifestations that most patients feel when they have advanced stage of cancer of the colon such as a substantial change in the bowel activity, regular constipation, flatulence, rectal bleeding, severe stomach pain and lethargy.

Colon Cancer StagesCancer of the colon is believed to be preventable, by specialists, if regular colon cleansing is performed. Development of cancer stimulating polyps is promoted by toxins that are present, and amass within the colon wall, according to experts.

Body detox and colon cleansing can bring many health advantages. The main benefits are aiding you to shed weight, an increase in your body's energy and the purifying of your whole digestive system. Still, it also breaks up fecal waste accumulated in the colon, reduces bloating, lessens water retention as well as upholding the smooth functioning of your colon, and the rest of your body.

If recognized quickly, colon cancer can be avoided even though it is one of the most familiar forms of cancer in the world. Nevertheless, it is normal for a colon cancer patient not to feel manifestations during the early phases. As soon as the fourth stage is attained the patient will feel severe pain and this is when most symptoms are noticed.

With an average diagnosed age of 64, about 90 percent of cancer of the colon examples are from individuals over 50. Scientific research prove that by age fifty or above, the ratio of individuals who get polyps in the colon is 1 in 4.

Most scientific investigation indicates that an active way of life can decrease the risk of cancer of the colon to about 40 percent. The chance of diabetes and obesity are in addition reduced when reasonable exercise is carried out.

Cancer of the colon as well as many other forms of cancer and disease have been linked with smoking as a contributing factor. When you smoke, you can worsen the risk since the inhaled tobacco can transmit cancer-causing agents to the colon and can increase the size of the cancer polyp.

Foodstuffs that are rich in cholesterol and fat are likely to raise the risk of colon cancer. The health hazard is reduced if foodstuffs like vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts and legumes, which contain natural roughage are consumed.

Pick up all detailed information about colon cancer symptoms.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Shone_Wetson

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