The short explanation
A change in bowel habit that is new for you and lasts more than a few weeks is worth checking, especially after the age of fifty. Most often it has a simple cause, such as diet changes, medicines, stress, thyroid problems or irritable bowel syndrome. But a lasting change can also be one of the signs of bowel cancer, which becomes more common with age. A doctor will ask about your symptoms and may examine your abdomen and back passage. They may suggest a stool test for hidden blood, blood tests for anaemia, and sometimes a colonoscopy, a camera test to look inside the bowel. These tests can find or rule out cancer and other conditions.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Other signs that make a check more urgent include blood in the stool, dark or black stools, unexplained weight loss, tiredness, or a lump in the tummy.
- A family history of bowel cancer raises risk and may mean testing sooner.
- Colonoscopy is available at many government medical colleges and district hospitals, as well as private centres.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you the cause of the change in your bowel habit. Tests are needed.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- What could be causing this change at my age?
- Do I need a stool test or colonoscopy?
- Should my blood be checked for anaemia?
- Does my family history change anything?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Get help the same day
- Get care the same day if you pass a lot of blood, have severe tummy pain or cannot pass stool or gas.
Book an appointment soon
- See a doctor within a week or two for a change in bowel habit lasting more than three weeks.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Bowel cancer — symptoms NHS
- Bowel cancer NHS
- Colorectal cancer MedlinePlus (US National Library of Medicine)
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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