A man is urging the public to pay closer attention to their bathroom habits, as five seemingly innocuous symptoms he experienced turned out to be indicators of colon cancer.

At the age of just 31, Chris Kirt received a diagnosis of colon cancer, but the path to discovering his illness was far from straightforward. He has previously expressed his frustration over delays in having his health concerns recognized and properly investigated. This led him to seek a private healthcare screening after experiencing delays in receiving results from the NHS following a stool test. During this private screening, doctors found a five-centimeter tumor in his descending colon.

Two months later, Chris underwent surgery to remove the tumor. He then faced an agonizing four-week wait before receiving the all-clear, just days before Christmas, which he celebrated at home with his fiancée and their baby daughter.

Now, Chris is on a mission to raise awareness about colon cancer. He has gained thousands of followers on TikTok by sharing his personal journey and encouraging others to take any symptoms seriously. In one of his videos, he details the symptoms he experienced before his diagnosis.

“Colon cancer warning signs I had at just 31,” he captioned the video, before listing the five signs he noticed prior to his diagnosis.

Falling asleep unexpectedly

Chris first became aware of his condition when he started frequently falling asleep on the sofa after returning home from work, a new habit that was out of character for him.

Bowel Cancer UK states that one of the potential signs of colon cancer is an unexplained persistent feeling of tiredness.

This can often be due to iron-deficiency anaemia resulting from blood loss in the bowel, which reduces the number of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. However, fatigue and tiredness are not exclusive symptoms of colon cancer and could have several other causes.

Night sweats

Chris also experienced night sweats, episodes of excessive sweating during sleep that left him soaked.

Night sweats can be a symptom of colon cancer, especially in its advanced stages, often appearing alongside other symptoms such as unexplained weight loss, chronic fatigue, abdominal pain, and changes in bowel habits, according to the NHS.

While night sweats alone do not definitively indicate cancer, persistent and soaking night sweats combined with other warning signs should prompt a visit to the doctor for evaluation.

Unsatisfactory toilet visits

Next, Chris mentioned that he often didn’t feel empty after using the toilet, which could also be a sign of colon cancer.

Bowel Cancer UK has advised that any alteration in your bowel movements could warrant a visit to the doctor. This could include changes in frequency, experiencing diarrhoea or constipation intermittently.

Another symptom to be aware of is persistent abdominal pain or a lump that doesn’t disappear, which could indicate colon cancer.

Sudden urged to use the toilet

Chris also noticed a sudden urge to use the toilet, a symptom that may not seem serious but is considered by the NHS as another potential sign of colon cancer, particularly if accompanied by other symptoms.

This constant or sudden need for a bowel movement, or feeling like you haven’t fully emptied your bowels, can often be attributed to a tumour in the rectum or colon.

Bloody stool

Lastly, Chris emphasised the importance of taking bloody stools seriously, as this was another symptom he experienced with colon cancer. The blood may appear bright red or as dark, tarry streaks.

Bright red blood in the stool usually suggests bleeding in the rectum or colon. While it’s not exclusively a sign of colon cancer, it’s certainly something you should discuss with your doctor.

It’s crucial to note that having any of these symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have bowel cancer, as there could be numerous other explanations. Nevertheless, the NHS strongly advises getting in touch with your GP if you notice any of these signs.