Feeling “unusual” tired or short of breath when climbing stairs may occur due to the slow loss of blood through the feces.
Intestinal cancer, or colorectal cancer, is the second most deadly form of cancer. It is also the fourth most commonly diagnosed disease. Thus, detecting any symptoms as soon as possible can save a life.
Some of the most well-known symptoms of bowel cancer are associated with going to the toilet.
Vitamin B12 deficiency: a symptom that manifests itself when climbing stairs
“There are several symptoms that are commonly found in bowel cancer. These include blood in the stool, persistent changes in bowel structure and habits, including diarrhea and constipation, weight loss, and abdominal pain. Some less common symptoms of bowel cancer include darker stools than usual, urgent bowel movements, feeling unable to completely empty the bowel, unusual tiredness due to anemia, and loss of appetite,” says Andrey Vorobyov, an oncologist, exclusively for MedicForum.
This anemia can lead to a side effect that you will notice when doing light exercise, including climbing stairs.
“Intestinal cancer can also cause a slow loss of blood not detectable in the stool, which causes anemia that makes patients feel unusually tired or short of breath on minimal exercise, such as climbing stairs. It can affect your daily life and make work, exercise, and socializing more difficult.”
Unusual bowel cancer symptom may appear when climbing stairs
Other symptoms h3>
Some people may notice a lump, swelling or pain in the abdomen among other signs. In slender people, you can sometimes feel swelling when pressing on the stomach. About one in four cases of bowel cancer may have a partial or complete bowel obstruction.
This means that the stool cannot pass through the area of the intestine narrowed by the cancer, leading to bloating, cramping, abdominal pain, vomiting, and inability to defecate or gas.
MedicalForum has previously written about signs of early lung cancer.
Important! Information provided for reference purposes. Ask a specialist about contraindications and side effects and under no circumstances self-medicate. At the first sign of illness, consult a doctor.