Does Colon Cancer Cause Gas and Bloating?

Gas and bloating are common stomach problems. Everyone, including healthy people, can have these at some point in life. In general, both symptoms can be attributed by many factors. However, sometimes they may signal serious health conditions. Does colon cancer cause these symptoms?

Causes of gas and bloating

Are you having an upset stomach that gets you down? Bloating, constipation, gas, or other bathroom problems are a common constant battle for many people.

In other words, these symptoms are common. Mostly, they are caused by the breakdown of food or swallowed air through digestion.

The good news, these are usually mild condition and even many times will improve naturally with some lifestyle measures. For instance, typically these abdominal discomforts are related to your diet.

Most of us know well that some foods (such as onions, broccoli, beans, sodas, and milk) can trigger gas and bloating, particularly true if you eat them too much.

Moreover, certain lactose and fructose in some fruits and dairy products may trigger diarrhea or even abdominal cramps. Especially for people who are more sensitive to these sugars.

The bad news, there are some health conditions that may be the culprit. Gas and bloating can be vogue because they can pinpoint numerous different health conditions.

If the excess gas doesn’t improve, it may build up in the intestines and stomach – as a result you can have abdominal pain. Having a bowel movement or passing gas is usually natural cures to improve the problem.

The following are some common factors /conditions that can lead to these symptoms:

1. Diet high in fats. Fatty foods can delay /slow stomach emptying. As a result, you may feel full (bloating) uncomfortably.
2. Eating too much gas-producing foods like cabbage, broccoli, carbonated beverages (like soda), and beans as noted before.
3. The way of how you eat may have an effect, too. For instance, drinking through a straw or eating too quickly may result in swallowing more air.
4. Cigarette smoking.

If these symptoms interfere with your daily routines, there may be an underlying condition that you should not ignore and you should see a doctor for more advice!

Some health conditions that may be related to these symptoms (reference) :

1. Psychological problems such as anxiety or stress.
2. Celiac disease, a condition that makes you more sensitive to gluten (a kind of protein in wheat).
3. Lactose intolerance.
4. Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Bloating is one of common symptom of IBS.
5. Blockage, infection, or diseases that affect gastrointestinal system. In severe case, bowel cancers (including cancer in the colon and rectum) can lead to a bowel obstruction.

Gas and bloating in colon cancer

Colon cancer at early stage is not easy to diagnose. One of the most challenging factors, there is usually no early sign of the disease. If the early symptoms do occur, they can be very vogue, too – because these symptoms can be attributed by many causes!

Gas and bloating are less likely to be associated with colon cancer if these symptoms don’t come together with the main symptoms of the disease. See more the common symptoms of this cancer in this section!

Since these symptoms are very common and can point to numerous different causes, don’t make a conclusion on your own. If it gets worse and lasts longer than what you expect, visit a doctor promptly for more advice!

If they have nothing to do with any serious health conditions, some lifestyle measures are usually helpful enough to deal with. These include:

1. Drink and eat slowly. This is not only helpful to make your digestive system work easier but also to help swallow less air. Furthermore, the habit of eating when you are on the run can be bad for the health of your digestion in long term.
2. Temporarily avoid foods and beverages that affect you most! These may include some veggies (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, beans, lentils, and peas), mushrooms, whole-wheat bread, and carbonated beverages (including beer). If you are sensitive to lactose, chose lactose-free /low-lactose varieties. Furthermore, you may also need to temporarily cut on foods high fiber since these foods can be another gas producer.
3. Pay attention on fatty foods, too. As noted before, fat can slow your digestion. This means fat can give food you eat more time to ferment, causing more gas in your digestive system. So, consume fewer fatty foods or if necessary avoid them!
4. Temporarily avoid hard candy and gum. Chewing candies will make you swallow more often, swallowing more air.
5. Avoid smoking! Each time you inhale smoke you will also inhale & swallow more air.
6. Exercise can help, too. It is also helpful to improve constipation. If you are so busy, a simple physical activity is helpful enough. Just think a simple idea. For instance, try a short walk after eating!