BOWEL cancer is one of the most deadly forms of the disease — but not all its signs are immediately obvious.
People in the early stages of bowel cancer may not experience any symptoms at all, putting them at risk of it spreading.
Bowel cancer can cause your stomach to gurgle, so it is important you know some of its other symptoms
However, some changes to your body should be paid attention to, including strange rumbles in your tummy.
Trending In The News’s No Time 2 Lose campaign, launched with Dame Deborah James in 2018, is raising awareness of symptoms and getting more Brits screened for the disease.
What are the symptoms of bowel cancer?
The main signs of bowel cancer are changes in you poo, such as it becoming softer or suffering diarrhoea or constipation that is unusual for you.
The disease can also cause you to need to go to the toilet more often or cause bleeding from your bottom or blood in your stools.
You may also feel the need to poo even if you’ve just been.
Other symptoms include tummy pain, bloating, losing weight without trying to and feeling very tired for no reason.
What are bowel cancer stomach noises?
Bowel cancer can cause stomach noises as gas and other substances move through your digestive tract.
Changes to the inside of your intestines can cause a gurgling sound as food passes through.
How do bowel cancer stomach noises differ to normal stomach noises?
Stomach noises can be caused by a range of other things and are not always an indication of bowel cancer.
These include having coeliac disease, irritable bowel syndrome, lactose intolerance and other food allergies.
Your tummy can also start to rumble when you’re feeling hungry, because noises are louder when the stomach and intestines are empty.
It is not possible to tell what is causing the noise from listening to it alone.
When should I see a doctor about potential bowel cancer stomach noises?
You should see your doctor if you’re also experiencing other symptoms as well as stomach noises.
If your stomach is in pain and it doesn’t go away, it could be worth getting checked out.
Blood in your stool or changes in bowel movements are other signs you should contact your GP.
