Can Canned Beets Cause Red in Stools?
If you see what looks like blood in your poops, this COULD be from the canned beets you ate yesterday.
The sight of this in the toilet bowl has been known to freak people out because to the inexperienced, the coloration looks like blood.
Those Blasted Beets
“Beets and many berries, along with some medications, all have the ability to color urine or stool,” says Franjo Vladic, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist with Center for Digestive Health and Endoscopy Center in Ohio.
Dr. Vladic continues, “Beets are the most notorious culprit, causing urine to redden within hours, and depending upon transit time, can cause stool to look redder for days.”
Next time this happens to you, take images of the contents of the toilet bowl to keep it handy for reference for when it occurs again.
You can also present the image to your doctor if you’re concerned enough to get an exam.
Your doctor will want to know if, in addition to the red in your stools, you have other new symptoms.
Worrisome new symptoms would include nausea, abdominal pain, unexplained weight loss or fatigue, and a feeling of constipation even after you have voided.
Canned Beets: Anything Unique?
There is nothing about the canning process, though, that would make canned beets more likely or less likely to redden your stools when compared to fresh beets (raw or cooked).
Whether beets come in a can, raw in a salad or cooked after coming from the produce department, this superfood contains betaine.
This is the pigment that causes red to appear in the stools and urine of a small percentage of people.
This is a perfectly benign situation, though scary to those who are not familiar with it.
Dr. Vladic’s special interests include acid reflux, colitis, colon cancer, GERD, heartburn, IBS, liver disease, obesity, pancreatitis and peptic ulcer, among many others.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Lepas
Can Cancer Cause Food to Hurt Going Down Your Chest?
Does food lately hurt going down your chest and you can’t help but wonder if this means cancer?
Cancer can cause chest pain depending on where the tumor is located.
For instance, lung cancer can actually cause chest pain. So can bone cancer and lymphoma (cancer of the lymph nodes).
However, we are talking specifically about pain or discomfort WHILE food is going down your chest.
“Odynophagia is pain caused by food traveling down in the chest,” says Franjo Vladic, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist with Center for Digestive Health and Endoscopy Center in Ohio.
Why can food going down your chest sometimes hurt?
Dr. Vladic says, “The pain receptors in the esophagus can cause esophageal chest pain. This can be caused by infection, esophageal ulcers and esophageal dysmotility (irregular contractions of the esophageal muscles).”
Odynophagia can also be caused by rapid eating of certain kinds of food, though it’s more of a pressure type of aching rather than a pain.
The food in particular that causes this, while eating it rapidly, is bread.
Due to its texture, bread can be wolfed down rapidly in large amounts, but because it’s more solid than mashed potatoes or pudding, it can create a bottleneck in the esophagus.
The esophagus runs down the chest from the throat, linking the throat to the stomach organ. If you have clumps of bread in there, it’s going to be uncomfortable.
A malignant tumor in the esophagus rarely causes actual pain. But it’s not impossible.
When you’re swallowing food, a tumor that’s large enough will cause the food to feel stuck. This is the premier symptom of esophageal cancer.
Can the causes of ogynophagia LEAD to cancer, such as colon cancer?
Certainly not. But if you’re concerned about colon cancer but are either afraid of having a colonoscopy or too young to be considered a candidate for a colonoscopy, you can give yourself a home screening test with Cologuard.
With Cologuard, which is available only by a prescription, you collect a stool sample and mail it off.
Cologuard uses advanced DNA technology to identify abnormal cells.
If your doctor has not heard of Cologuard, give him or her the Cologuard number: 1-844-870-8870.
In the meantime, slow down your eating, especially that of bread, and drink more fluids in between mouthfuls, to see if that doesn’t eliminate that hurt in your chest when food goes down.
Dr. Vladic’s special interests include acid reflux, colitis, colon cancer, GERD, heartburn, IBS, liver disease, obesity, pancreatitis and peptic ulcer, among many others.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Freepik/KamranAydinov
Why You Have a Sore Stomach when Awakening
The causes of a sore stomach when awakening are many, including colon cancer and other organ cancers. (more…)
White Film on Stools: Benign Mucus or Cancer?
Cancer cell
Are you seeing clumps of white goop or film with your poops? Cancer may come to mind.
As yucky or scary as this white film or goop looks when it’s mixed with your stools, you can be reassured it is not a sign of cancer.
“White film, which forms on top of the stool, usually is caused by steatorrhea (fat in or on the stools),” says Franjo Vladic, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist with Center for Digestive Health and Endoscopy Center in Ohio.
“Other symptoms of steatorrhea may include abdominal pain or cramping, the stool floating on top of the toilet water (think of how vinegar floats on water), or foul-smelling stool.”
The white film is sometimes referred to as mucus. “Mucus is a jelly-like substance,” says Dr. Vladic.
“The presence of mucus in stool is common. Mucus is usually clear but it may also appear white or yellow in color.
“There are no specific symptoms associated with mucus in stools.
“It can be produced from the intestinal lining, which is a normal physiological process to help with transit of your poops through the colon to be voided, and there is no diagnosis associated with mucus in stools.”
Thank goodness! So you now no longer have to feel fear upon seeing those white filmy blobs or clumps with your stools.
Their presence may be often or intermittent. You can now just ignore them.
But if the white film in your stools has got you wondering about colon cancer…again, rest assured, this is not a symptom of colon cancer (or any other cancer).
Cologuard
And by the way, you can do a home screening for colon cancer with Cologuard, a simple to use test that your doctor can prescribe for you if you’re not yet ready to undergo a colonoscopy.
The Cologuard kit enables you to gather a sample of your poop and mail it off so that it can be analyzed with the most advanced DNA technology.
This technology will identify, if present, suspicious looking cells in the sample.
If your doctor has not heard of Cologuard, here is the Cologuard number: 1-844-870-8870.
Dr. Vladic’s special interests include acid reflux, colitis, colon cancer, GERD, heartburn, IBS, liver disease, obesity, pancreatitis and peptic ulcer, among many others.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/Kateryna Ko
Colon Cancer Nausea vs. IBS Nausea
Is there a difference in the way nausea feels when it’s caused by cancer vs. IBS?
Or is all nausea the same, whether it’s caused by cancer or irritable bowel syndrome?
Nausea, regardless of whether it’s from colon (or liver, for that matter) cancer or IBS, in and of itself feels the same.
“Nausea” is a symptom that refers to a sick feeling in one’s stomach that makes them feel as though vomiting is imminent.
Nausea can feel mild, moderate or severe, and can come in waves or be persistent — whether you have irritable bowel syndrome or colon cancer.
Colon Cancer Nausea vs. IBS
“Colon cancer related nausea versus IBS related nausea needs to be considered in regards to whether ‘alarm’ symptoms are present,” says Franjo Vladic, MD, a board certified gastroenterologist with Center for Digestive Health and Endoscopy Center in Ohio.
“Alarm symptoms are present in organic pathology conditions causing nausea like colon cancer, and should be addressed with a medical professional,” continues Dr. Vladic.
“Alarm symptoms are absent in IBS related nausea symptoms.”
The following are alarm symptoms, but keep in mind that if you have some of these, this doesn’t mean you necessarily have a malignant tumor.
- Symptom onset after the age of 50 yrs. old
- Severe or progressively worsening symptoms
- Unexplained weight loss (can also be caused by diabetes, celiac disease, hyperthyroidism, inflammatory bowel disease)
- Unexplained iron deficiency, anemia
- Nighttime symptoms
- Fevers or chills
- Rectal bleeding (can also be caused by hemorrhoids or anal tears)
- Family history of colon cancer or inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s) or celiac sprue
Additional alarm symptoms are as follows:
1 Unexplained fatigue
2 Pencil-thin or ribbon-like stools
3 Constipation, especially if in between episodes of constipation there is diarrhea.
The biggest alarm may be the persistence and progression of any symptoms that you do have along with the nausea — a set of symptoms that are not going away.
For women, if a workup by your gastroenterologist comes out negative for colon cancer, and even if you’re diagnosed with IBS, you may want to consider having an exam of your ovaries by an OBGYN.
Some of symptoms of ovarian cancer, including nausea, are the same as that of colon.
The symptoms of a benign ovarian cyst are virtually identical to that of ovarian cancer.
Cologuard
Cologuard is an easy home screening tool for colon cancer that uses the most advanced DNA technology to detect abnormal cells in your fecal sample.
Cologuard is a smart option for those who are not yet up to having a colonoscopy.
Cologuard isn’t a diagnostic tool, only a screening tool, and depending on the sample results, your doctor will discuss whether or not you should have a colonoscopy.
And by the way, if you’ve been diagnosed with IBS and suffer from nausea as a result, you should not disregard any alarm symptoms that crop up in the future; after all, IBS doesn’t make a person immune to colon cancer!
Dr. Vladic’s special interests include acid reflux, colitis, colon cancer, GERD, heartburn, IBS, liver disease, obesity, pancreatitis and peptic ulcer, among many others.
Lorra Garrick has been covering medical, fitness and cybersecurity topics for many years, having written thousands of articles for print magazines and websites, including as a ghostwriter. She’s also a former ACE-certified personal trainer.
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Top image: Shutterstock/9nong
Can Chronic Pancreatitis Be Caused By Cancer?
You have that backwards; chronic pancreatitis will increase the risk of cancer!
This means that if you have chronic pancreatitis, you probably don’t have cancer, but you DO carry the risk of it down the road—to your pancreas. (more…)
Tall Teen Girls Should Wear High Heels for Self-Confidence
Parents should NEVER discourage their very tall teen daughters from wearing high heels.
Otherwise this sends a very bad message.
If your daughter knows that you feel awkward about her extra height, you’re doing something wrong and it needs to get fixed.
(more…)
At What Age Should Kids Stop Screaming While Playing?
At what point are kids too old to be screaming during play?
What’s that cutoff where it goes from magical to obnoxious? (more…)
Are Two Hours Nonstop too much for Cardio Exercise?
Two hours may or may not be too much cardio exercise, because it all depends. (more…)
Does Shoveling Snow Count As Exercise & If So What Kind ?
Find out why it’s a mistake to think that shoveling snow replaces your scheduled cardio or strength training workout for the day.
Shoveling snow elevates heart rate and makes one breathe faster, and the more out of shape someone is, the more pronounced these effects are; this makes shoveling snow sound like a form of cardio exercise. I’m a personal trainer.
It gets the heart rate up, yes, and even though the physical activity is non-rhythmic and tends to be done mostly with one’s dominant side, shoveling snow actually qualifies as a cardio workout.
There are a few variables to consider.
If your normal cardio workout consists of high intensity interval training (HIIT), your structured cardio session is more intense than the cardio output you’d be executing when shoveling snow.
Therefore, if your high intensity interval training session is scheduled the same day you shovel snow, I’d say do the HIIT first.
Consider the snow shoveling a chore that needs to be done and an opportunity to burn some extra calories so that you can enjoy a second piece of pie after dinner.
If you normally do nonstop (steady state) cardio, then consider that shoveling snow is not a good replacement, since this chore is of a stop and go nature
Often, people will rest for several minutes, just standing in the driveway looking about, before resuming the work.
This does not mimic steady state cardio, and if you prefer steady state, then don’t skip your planned steady state session.
Shoveling snow much more closely mimics HIIT, due to its stop and go nature of alternating intensity with complete rest.
If you’re used to HIIT, then you can mimic this by shoveling like a demon for about 30 seconds, then marching in place for a few minutes for recovery.
Don’t forget, though, that no matter how fit you are in terms of HIIT, shoveling snow is a weight-bearing activity that, when performed with a “lift with the legs” approach, combines semi-squatting motions with shoulder, chest, biceps and lower back work.
There is also some lighter rowing motions involved, when repositioning the shovel.
The semi-squatting refers to a partial squat or very bent knees, to allow the legs to absorb most of the forces rather than make the lower back do so.
Nevertheless, you’ll still end up using the lower back.
In summary, this chore can be substituted for high intensity cardio sessions if the physical exertion of the HIIT work intervals is comparable to the snow shoveling intervals.
Lorra Garrick is a former personal trainer certified through the American Council on Exercise. At Bally Total Fitness she trained women and men of all ages for fat loss, muscle building, fitness and improved health.
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