Bowel Basics

Don't worry, farting's not a symptom of anything other than your unsuitability to be allowed out in public. But there are a few things worth knowing about your bowel (or intestine) and digestive system in general.

• Check out our FAQs on bowel cancer, piles and constipation and diarrhoea. We also have a section on the stomach.

You need to be aware of bowel cancer because it's the second biggest cancer killer in the UK. Yet in a survey by Bowel Cancer UK carried out in 2011, over half of us could not name a single bowel cancer symptom. They are:

• Bleeding from the bottom (of any bloody colour from bright red to dark black)
• A change in your bowel habit lasting more than 3 weeks
• Severe abdominal pain
• A feeling like a lump in your tummy
• Weight loss, tiredness and perhaps poor appetite

If you're concerned about any of these see your GP.

• Case Study: Mark - 'A check up saved my arse'
• Comedian John Ryan is Caught between two stools
• Other useful websites include Bowel Cancer UK and Beating Bowel Cancer.

This page was produced by malehealth, the Men's Health Forum's health information website for men of all ages, for the men's health app Bloke Noises. Download the app here.