Surgeon reveals why common toilet habit could be a sign of cancer
A surgeon has warned people of one common toilet habit that could be a sign of something far more dangerous.
In a busy and chaotic life, it's not uncommon for the time we spend on the toilet to be our one moment of solitude in the day - especially for parents trying to hide from their kids.
However, colorectal surgeon Dr Lai Xue has revealed one mistake we could all be making during our trips to the loo, which actually be causing more harm than good.
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The surgeon, who works at the University of Texas' Southwestern Medical Center, explained that the amount of time we spend sitting on the toilet could lead to various intimate health problems.
The risk of developing haemorrhoids also rises, as the pressure of the toilet seat on your behind causes blood to rush to the area around the anus.
Speaking to CNN, Dr Xue said: "It becomes a one-way valve where blood enters, but blood really can’t go back."
If someone spends an unusually long period of time on the loo or has difficulty passing stool, it could also be a sign of cancer.
Of course there are other, more common, reasons for constipation, but Dr Lance Uradomo spoke to the Daily Mail about the rise in colon cancer cases in young people.
He said: "If a growth inside the colon grows big enough, it can block the flow of your stool, which can cause constipation and bleeding."
And since sitting on the loo for prolonged periods of time indicates straining, other problems such as a rectal prolapse or weakened pelvic floor muscles could develop.
Research shows the disease has scarily risen by 50 percent among 20, 30 and 40-somethings over the course of the last 30 years.
Oncologist Dr Shivan Sivakumar described the situation as an 'epidemic'.
He told the Daily Mail: "There is an epidemic currently of young people getting cancer.
"It is unknown the cause of this, but we are seeing more patients getting abdominal cancers."
Between junk food, being less active, and an obesity crisis, numerous theories have been put forward as the potential cause for the rise in cancer among younger people.
But cancer specialists have said there is a large number of people in the age group that are healthy, which wouldn't account for the statistics.
It is currently the third most common cancer to be diagnosed in the UK and is responsible for the death of around 17,000 Brits every year.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Mia Williams