Symptom 9: Changes in Bowel Habits
Most people have their “normal” when it comes to bowel habits, a rhythm they’ve come to understand over the years. A sudden or persistent deviation from this routine can be a tad alarming, and rightly so. While numerous factors can cause bowel habit changes, in the context of stomach cancer, such changes deserve particular attention.
Gastric tumors can physically obstruct or slow down the passage of food and waste, leading to constipation. Alternatively, if the tumor causes internal bleeding or mucus secretion, it can lead to diarrhea or looser stools. The presence of blood in the stools, as mentioned earlier, can give them a dark, tarry appearance – a symptom not to be ignored.
The stomach and intestines work in a synchronized dance, ensuring smooth digestion. However, stomach cancer can disrupt this harmony, leading to irregularities. The cancer might slow down stomach emptying, resulting in undigested food rushing into the intestines, causing a series of reactions from gas formation to altered bowel movements.
Though changes in bowel habits can be quite unsettling, it’s essential to keep a holistic perspective. Numerous benign factors, from dietary changes and stress to medications and infections, can lead to similar symptoms. It’s the combination of these changes with other signs like weight loss, fatigue, or stomach pain that should spark concern.
Always remember, the gut, while resilient, also communicates. A persistent message in the form of altered bowel habits, especially when coupled with other warning signs, needs to be addressed. Early intervention can help in decoding the message, be it a benign issue or a more serious one like stomach cancer. (9)
