 
The following is a list of the common presenting 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 |
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
1. Some patients may have these symptoms in combination. There may
also be a family history of bowel problems for example bowel cancer.
2. These types of symptoms should be assessed so as to make a
diagnosis and recommend appropriate treatment.
3. One should not be too embarrassed to seek an opinion for what
might appear to be a trivial symptom.
4. It is only by seeing a specialist and then having the relevant
investigations that more serious diseases can be excluded. |