You might not be aware of this, but colon polyps can actually cause colon cancer.
Although colon polyps may start out benign, they can eventually become malignant.
BUT WHAT EXACTLY ARE COLON POLYPS?
This is simply an abnormal growth within the walls of the large intestine.
Your colon is part of a channel that helps in passing fecal matter right down to your rectum where it is expelled.
This makes the colon very vulnerable to infection as it is constantly exposed to toxic fecal matter that can lead to an inflammation of the region due to the constant exposure to fecal bacteria.
While colon polyps as stated earlier are benign they could lead to more serious health issues and so it is advisable that they are removed by a procedure known as colonoscopy.
WHAT ARE THE HIGH RISK FACTORS?
Anyone can have colon polyps but there are some people that have a greater risk than others, here are some risk factors to consider.
- Being on a high-fat diet
- Excessive alcohol drinking
- Smoking
- Being over 50 years of age
- History of colon cancer in the family
- Being on a low-fiber diet
COLON POLYPS SYMPTOMS
In the beginning most colon polyps are asymptomatic.
There is no pain nor is there any disruption to your intestinal tract functions at the start.
But as the condition worsens where the colon polyps enlarge you will notice these symptoms.
- Constipation lasting about 1 to 2 weeks could mean a large colon polyps
- A change in your bowel habits
- Diarrhea
- Having abdominal pain while defecating is a sign as well
- Anaemia or iron deficiency
These are also symptoms common in patients with colon cancer so you should never ignore them.
Your doctor will usually prescribe a colonoscopy if you exhibit these symptoms.
This is not a comfortable test but it will give you an accurate diagnosis of the location as well as size and number of the polyps that should be removed.
This procedure has a high success rate and is necessary to avoid more serious health issues like colon cancer.
HOW CAN I PREVENT COLON POLYPS?
A healthy lifestyle and a balanced diet rich in fiber will go a long way in preventing colon polyps, however we cannot entirely eliminate it.
You can do the following to try and prevent colon polyps as well.
- Don’t get obese.
- Lose weight if you are overweight.
- Get rid of nasty habits like smoking and excessive alcoholic drinking.
- Eat a green apple daily.
- You can eat oatmeal as breakfast every morning as it will give you the fiber you need for proper digestion.
- You can drink warm lemon water every morning prior to breakfast and on an empty stomach.
- You can use extra virgin olive oil rather than vegetable oil.
- Eat more probiotics.
- Consume vegetables like, broccoli, artichokes and beets.