According to the National Hospital of Endocrinology, the digestive system not only performs the function of digestion and nutrient absorption but also plays an important role in maintaining the health and immune system of the body. However, many people often ignore abnormal symptoms because they think they are just common digestive disorders. In fact, this may be an early warning sign of many dangerous diseases such as stomach ulcers, colitis, liver and gallbladder diseases and even digestive tract cancer.
Some signs that patients should not be subjective about include: prolonged or recurrent abdominal pain, bloating, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, belching, acid reflux, burning sensation after sternum, prolonged constipation or diarrhea, bloody stools, black stools, unexplained weight loss, loss of appetite, difficulty swallowing or prolonged fatigue. When these symptoms appear frequently or do not improve, patients need to go to a medical facility for examination, diagnosis and timely treatment.
It is noteworthy that many digestive diseases, especially stomach cancer and colorectal cancer, often progress silently in the early stages and have few obvious symptoms. Therefore, proactive periodic examination and screening play an important role in early detection of precancerous and cancerous lesions, thereby improving treatment effectiveness and reducing the risk of complications.
Experts recommend that adults should have health check-ups and assess the risk of digestive diseases at least once a year, especially from 40 years old or earlier if there are risk factors such as family history of gastrointestinal cancer, Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection, colorectal polyps, chronic gastritis or frequent abnormal symptoms. Stomach endoscopy and colorectal endoscopy will be prescribed by doctors with appropriate frequency based on age, risk factors and results of previous endoscopy.
Listening to the signals of the body, maintaining a healthy lifestyle and proactively conducting periodic digestive examinations and screenings are effective ways to protect health, prevent diseases and improve quality of life.
