Dr. Trisha Pasricha

Yeah, let me tell you about two, okay?

And this is one that I want people to pay attention to because I think this could really save a life.

So the things that I worry about first for colorectal cancer and something that I'm worried about a lot, I think every scientist in the country right now and in the world thinks is one of the most important scientific problems of our day is why are more and more younger people getting colorectal cancer?

And so they did a study where they looked at what are the four most common symptoms of early onset, meaning before the age of 50, colorectal cancer.

But these also apply to colorectal cancer at any age.

Okay.

And so these four symptoms are one, abdominal pain.

Two, rectal bleeding.

Three, iron deficiency anemia.

This is a blood test that tells us that your red blood cells have become smaller and that's due to iron loss.

This is really important in women because when women have iron deficiency anemia and it can feel like fatigue or tired,

You get the blood test.

Oftentimes, people will say this has to be due to your period because we lose a lot of iron.

We lose blood with our periods.

If you have these other symptoms or you're like, wait a minute, but my periods are kind of light.

I really want you to pause and not brush this aside.

And then the fourth symptom is anxiety.

The most important and also the most vague, so it's what makes it really complicated, is any change in your bowel habits, meaning new diarrhea, new constipation, some change to the pattern.

Maybe suddenly your bowel, your poop went from being really thick to really, really thin.

Anything that's new for you that seems to stick around,