Bowel cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in the UK. It refers to cancer found anywhere in the large bowel, which includes the colon and the rectum, and although terms like colon cancer and rectal cancer are used to be more specific, the NHS tends to refer to them as bowel cancer as a whole.

As with many types of cancer, spotting bowel cancer early can help make treatments more effective, and one man on social media has shared the one symptom that made him head to the hospital to get a diagnosis. Ram Danielle, from the US, said he was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer after multiple trips to the hospital - and it all started with one symptom.

In a video on TikTok, Ram explained that colon cancer is now the number one cancer death in the US for people under the age of 50, and it's a common type of cancer in other parts of the world, including the UK, so he wants to talk about his experience so that others know when to get checked.

• Best car insurance for claims in the UK — see the full list


• 'I'm a doctor and there's 1 clothing item you must wear on long haul trips'

And for Ram, his journey to getting diagnosed with cancer began when he started having "stomach cramps" as a result of being constipated for multiple days.

The man explained he hadn't been to the bathroom for around four days when he began experiencing intense stomach pain. He said his bowel movements were usually pretty regular, so he knew something was wrong with his body when he went several days without passing stool, and when the pain set in, he asked his parents to drive him to A&E.

After waiting four hours in A&E to be seen by a doctor, they did bloodwork and took an X-ray, which found that he had "a lot of poo" in his bowels. They prescribed him some laxatives to try and get him to have a bowel movement and sent him home, but he was still unable to go to the toilet.

He went back to the hospital, and this time, they ordered a colonoscopy, which found that part of his colon was blocked. They took some samples from him to test them, and he eventually underwent surgery to have a stoma bag fitted because he still wasn't able to go to the toilet.

When he woke up from his surgery, he was told the bad news - doctors had found a 5cm tumour in his colon. On the plus side, they were able to remove the tumour during his surgery, which also removed the blockage in his colon.

Ram explained: "Now, they've removed about 75% of my colon, and they also removed 39 lymph nodes. [At this point], it's already been confirmed that this is cancer, but I still have to wait for the pathology results to see which stage it is.

"I was in the hospital for 13 days just recovering. It was the most intense thing I've ever had to go through. It literally changed my life overnight. All of a sudden, I couldn't work, I couldn't stand up, I couldn't eat, I couldn't do anything."

The man said he got told about four days later that it was stage three colon cancer, and said he was eventually thankful for his constipation, as without it, he would likely still have no idea that he had cancer.

According to the NHS, symptoms of bowel cancer can include:

• Changes in your poo, such as having softer poo, diarrhoea or constipation that is not usual for you


• Needing to poo more or less often than usual for you


• Blood in your poo, which may look red or black


• Bleeding from your bottom


• Often feeling like you need to poo, even if you've just been to the toilet


• Tummy pain


• A lump in your tummy


• Bloating


• Losing weight without trying


• Feeling very tired or short of breath

If you have had symptoms of bowel cancer for three weeks or more, you should see your GP. The NHS states you shouldn't be embarrassed to talk about your poo, as the doctor or nurse who sees you will be used to discussing these things.

Call 111 or get an emergency GP appointment if your poo is black or dark red, or if you have bloody diarrhoea. If you're bleeding non-stop from the bottom, or if there's a lot of blood, go to A&E or call 999.

For more information on bowel cancer, visit the NHS website.