BSc (Hons), MB, CHB, FRCS (Gen Surg)
General and Colorectal Consultant Surgeon
 
 		  

 

 

The following is a list of the common symptoms that might occur in patients with disorders of the gastrointestinal tract and in particular the colon, rectum and anus:

 

 

Change in bowel habit - diarrhoea or constipation
Rectal bleeding - fresh or dark
Change in bowel habit - diarrhoea or constipation
Rectal bleeding - fresh or dark
Abdominal pain - acute or chronic
Anal discharge - mucus or pus
Anal pain or irritation
Weight loss
Loss of appetite
Nausea or vomiting
Prolapse of a lump from the anus
Involuntary leakage of wind or faeces from the back passage (incontinence)

 

Remember

  • Some patients may have these symptoms in combination.

  • There may also be a family history of bowel problems for example bowel cancer.

  • These types of symptoms should be assessed so as to make a diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment.

  • You should not be too embarrassed to seek an opinion for what might appear to be a trivial symptom.

  • It is only by seeing a specialist and then having the relevant investigations that more serious diseases can be excluded.