Red flags that the digestive system sends us. Never underestimate them!

Which digestive ailments are the real alarm signal, requiring urgent medical attention? Contrary to appearances, not all of them are associated with a real threat and we sometimes underestimate them.

1. Dr. Karolina Radwan, a gastroenterologist, outlined red flags that should prompt the patient to see a doctor, as well as perform a colonoscopy or gastroscopy
2. The specialist pointed out three particularly important symptoms, but extended the list by two more, which should attract the attention of both the patient and the doctor
3. These symptoms can be followed by various ailments, including neoplastic diseases
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

Ailments in the digestive system can be associated with serious, sometimes even fatal diseases. Meanwhile, many of the symptoms are underestimated by us – we assume that they are not serious and there is no reason to worry. Dr. Monika Piecuch-Kilarowska, family doctor, had a very matter-of-fact conversation with Dr. Karolina Radwan – gastroenterologist. In an interview on Instagram, the issue of red flags on the part of the digestive system appeared. Below is a list of signals that the gastroenterologist has identified as particularly disturbing. These symptoms absolutely require contact with a doctor!

Blood in the stool

Dr. Karolina Radwan classified this symptom as the flagship symptom. It definitely requires diagnostics. The specialist emphasized that not every case of blood in the stool means a developing cancer immediately. The situation is different when the symptom is reported by a young girl with constipation, whose blood appears only on toilet paper, and different when it comes to an elderly man suffering from diarrhea with blood.

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In the first case, the most common explanation is simply hemorrhoids. In the latter case, the symptoms, especially if they recur frequently, may indicate an oncological disease.

Regardless of the patient’s age, blood in the stool is always an indication for a colonoscopy.

The rest of the text is below the video.

Rapid weight loss

The second red flag that Dr. Radwan draws attention to is a sudden weight loss. Of course, this is about the situation when the patient has not just changed his lifestyle, i.e. has not started exercising or switched to a diet. If, for no apparent reason, he has lost 5-10 kg in the last few weeks, it is a clear sign that something disturbing is happening.

Patients do not always weigh themselves, so they may not be aware that the kilograms are actually going down. In such a situation, the signal should be increasingly looser clothes.

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Swallowing disorders

As the third key symptom, Dr. Radwan mentions dysphagia, i.e. swallowing disorders, not only of solid food, but also of liquids. This symptom may also be accompanied by vomiting and chest pain while eating. Treat all these symptoms as “heavy-duty” and see a doctor immediately.

At the root of dysphagia may be, inter alia, esophageal cancer. It is a symptom that may indicate serious diseases which, as a consequence, may also lead to the patient’s death.

In the case of dysphagia, gastroscopy should be performed. This is a study that many people are afraid of, but Dr. Radwańska emphasizes that there really is nothing. It lasts 3-4 minutes and does not hurt. It’s just not very pleasant, but most patients handle it quite well.

Pain that awakens you at night

Pain in the digestive tract is not always a symptom of a serious disease. It can have a very diverse background. Symptoms of which pain is a symptom include, among others, the increasingly common irritable bowel syndrome. But not only.

Pain ailments, however, require urgent contact with a doctor if they wake us up at night. This is the difference between pain in irritable bowel syndrome and that caused, for example, by cancer. Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome suffer during the day, but usually disappear at night.

Iron deficiency anemia

Iron deficiency anemia can also signal that something is wrong with your digestive system. This is a symptom that is of great concern to gastroenterologists – tumors, including colon cancer located in the caecum, may be the source of iron deficiency. It has very few symptoms, says Dr. Radwan. Most often it is anemia.

Celiac disease can also be a cause of anemia. In adults, it often manifests as anemia only.

Therefore, in anemia, iron supplementation alone is not a real solution. The most important thing here is diagnostics, i.e. searching for the source of the problem.

Also read:

1. How long does it take to urinate? The “20 second test” can tell you that something is wrong with your health
2. A simple dehydration test. Grab the skin and hold for a few seconds
3. Where does blood in stool come from? [WE EXPLAIN]
4. Is frequent bowel movement a symptom of an illness?