Bowel cancer warning: Does your poo look like this? What a healthy stool should look like
BOWEL cancer symptoms can include stomach pain, a change in bowel habits, and finding blood in your stool. But, checking your poo after using the toilet could reveal if you’re at risk. This is what a healthy poo should look like.
Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer to be diagnosed in the UK, according to the NHS.
Most people diagnosed with the cancer are over 60 years old.
Bowel cancer symptoms include a persistent change in bowel habit, or a persistent abdominal pain.
But, the symptoms of bowel cancer can be difficult to spot, and may not necessarily make you feel unwell.
One of the ways you can check to see if you’re at risk of the disease is to check your stool after using the toilet.
Bowel cancer symptoms: Blood in poo could be sign - what a healthy stool looks like
Almost half of people in the UK claim to have never checked their poo, according to the Taymount Clinic.
“Everyone assumes poo is always brown – and most of the time it is,” it told Express.co.uk.
“However, sometimes your diet will impact the colour of your poo.
“For example, brightly coloured foods such as beetroot or cherries will colour you poo purple if you eat enough of them.
“This is harmless, unless it occurs on a regular basis or it looks black or red.”
GETTY Images/Ramsay Health Care UK
A black or red stool may indicate something more serious.
The red tinge to your poo could be caused by blood.
If the blood is bright, then the bleeding may be caused by an anal tear or haemorrhoids, said Ramsay Health Care.
But, blood from higher up in the bowel could turn your stool dark red or black.
This type of bleeding may be a sign of bowel cancer, and you should speak to a doctor straight away.
GETTY Images
Ramsay Health Care UK
The ideal poo appears like a smooth, soft sausage, or is sausage-shaped with cracks on the surface.
It should also be about an inch in diameter, and 12 inches long, according to medical website StoolAnalyzer.com.
Your stool should be easy to pass and soft, and should slowly sink to the bottom of the toilet.
If you’re worried about your stool, you should speak to a GP.
The NHS offers bowel cancer screening to registered adults in the UK.