Five gut symptoms young people should never ignore

By Lauren Wilkin

An oncologist is warning people never to ignore five dangerous gut health symptoms - as cases of colon cancer rise in young patients.

Dr. Jason Williams - a cancer specialist - said: "We're starting to see colorectal cancer in younger patients."

The Cancer Research Institute describes the number of cases of colon cancer in young adults as "skyrocketing."

The institute reports that one in five diagnoses occurs in someone under the age of 55, and it has become a leading cause of cancer-related death in young people.

For this reason, Dr. Williams says young people need to take some gut health symptoms a little more seriously than they might have in the past.

"The old reflex, when a younger patient came in with these problems, was to blow it off because they were too young to have cancer," says Dr. Williams, founder of Williams Cancer Institute - a cancer treatment center in Beverly Hills.

"Any person usually knows if they're feeling something that's not normal.

"A few off days is one thing, and most people will wonder whether it is the start of something. But if it continues for over a week, two weeks, then that needs to be discussed with their doctor and checked out.

"Now, since we see young people with cancer, it's got to be in everybody's mind."

These are the five symptoms he says young people should never ignore.

1. Blood in the stool

This is the first symptom Dr. Williams says people need to take note of.

"Blood in the stool can be bright red, or darker if it's coming from higher up in the GI tract," he says.

"A lot of people would blame that on hemorrhoids, and it can be, that's probably one of the more common causes, but that will typically resolve within a few days.

"The person may have pain related to hemorrhoids too, but again, it usually tends to be kind of short-lived and comes and goes."

If you experience ongoing blood in the stool, it's important to speak to a healthcare professional.

2. Change in bowel habits that stick around

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Five gut symptoms young people should never ignore

Dr. Williams says people need to be aware if their toilet habits change.

"People can have change in bowel habits, but a change that keeps going for a couple of weeks or more is something that needs to be evaluated."

This includes how regularly you feel the need to go to the bathroom.

3. Weight loss

Keeping an eye on your weight is essential, Dr. Williams says.

"Weight loss is the difficult one, because sometimes people are trying to lose weight and they could get cancer while they're trying to lose weight, and it might be difficult to know.

"But if the weight loss seems out of proportion, or it was never intended at all, then that's important."

4. Abdominal pain and bloating

"People have abdominal pain, cramping, bloating occasionally.

"When it persists past a week or two, though, the person probably needs to be evaluated," Dr. Williams says.

He adds: "Even if it turns out to be something else, it is still worth having checked."

5. Appetite and digestion changes

Changes in your appetite and digestion should be taken seriously.

"People feeling excessively full for an extended period, a couple weeks, that would be an issue," Dr. Williams says.

A reduction in appetite or feeling hungry all the time could also indicate a problem.