TikTok Told me to Get a Colonoscopy

Happy Monday. Here's one more reason to love TikTok—people are promoting preventive health measures on the platform.

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By Stephanie Cornwell, Editorial Assistant Happy Monday. Here's one more reason to love TikTok—people are promoting preventive health measures on the platform. Today's Top Story TikTok Star 'Enkyboys' Urges Young People to Get Screened After Colon Cancer Diagnosis A 34-year-old TikTok star was recently diagnosed with stage four colon cancer. Randy Gonzalez, the father of the "Enkyboys," was diagnosed when he went for a colonoscopy after noticing pain in his upper abdomen.   Gonzalez is part of the rising number of young adults diagnosed with colorectal cancer, though medical professionals aren't sure what's causing the rise.   Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer worldwide. While family history does play a role in developing cancer, other risk factors, like obesity, smoking, diabetes, eating processed meats, and limited physical activity are associated with an increased risk.   You don't have to wait to have symptoms to get checked out. If you have family history of the disease, you may want to get screened for colorectal cancer regardless of your age. Know More Symptoms of colorectal cancer can include blood in the stool and rectal bleeding, change in bowel habits, cramping in the abdomen, weight loss, weakness, and fatigue. Feel Better The best way to prevent colorectal cancer is regular screening. The two most common methods of colorectal cancer screening are colonoscopies and fecal immunochemical tests (FIT). In a colonoscopy, the doctor will use a small camera to search for polyps and other abnormalities in the intestines. A FIT looks for hidden blood in the stool. You can talk to your healthcare provider about scheduling a screening. READ MORE New Heart Failure Guidelines Emphasize Prevention Experts in cardiology have recently updated treatment guidelines for patients who have heart failure or are at high risk for the disease. The updated guidelines emphasize prevention by adding a new class of medication for those with early signs of heart failure. The updates also stress the importance of multidisciplinary care teams for patients in the later stages of the disease. READ MORE What Are Adverse Childhood Experiences? Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, are harmful and impactful experiences that occur during the formative years of a person's life. These could be a single traumatic event or ongoing trauma. Examples of ACEs could be any form of abuse, neglect, having a parent who has an alcohol use disorder, having a family member who's incarcerated, or even having divorced parents. Multiple events can lead to mental and physical health problems like substance use disorder, heart disease, obesity, and depression. Speaking to a mental health professional to help in your healing could potentially prevent health complications. READ MORE   In an interview with Verywell, Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD, urges people to get regular screenings and make healthy life choices to prevent colorectal cancer. Be aware that this cancer has become a young person's cancer; however, up to 70% of colon cancer is preventable. So many options exist, screening is important, but prevention (like eating healthy and getting exercise) is even more important. Anton Bilchik, MD, PhD Surgical oncologist, chief of medicine, and director of the gastrointestinal research program at Saint John's Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center in California     Keep Reading   ■ I'm a Longtime Professor. The Real Campus "Free Speech Crisis" Is Not What You Think. Slate     ■ 10 Practical Ways to Improve Happiness. The Atlantic     ■ More Than 137 Million Americans Live In Areas With Poor Air Quality, a Report Finds. NPR More From Verywell Signs That You May Need a Colonoscopy READ MORE Congestive Heart Failure Pathophysiology READ MORE How to Recognize & Respond to Gaslighting READ MORE   How'd we do? If you have any feedback, send us a note at   feedback@verywell.com.         You are receiving this newsletter because you subscribed to the Verywell Health newsletter. If you wish to unsubscribe, please click here.   A DOTDASH MEREDITH BRAND 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10005   © 2022 verywellhealth.com - All rights reserved. Privacy Policy