Be alert to risk factors

Risk factors are factors that increase the chance of a certain disease. By avoiding risk factors, you can prevent some diseases. In most cases, however, factors also play a role that you cannot influence yourself. For example, your age or genetic predisposition. By taking into account the risk factors that can influence yourself, you can reduce the risk of these diseases.

There are two types of risk factors: modifiable risk factors and non-modifiable risk factors. Examples of modifiable risk factors are an unhealthy diet, smoking, alcohol consumption and too little exercise. These are risk factors that you can change yourself; these risk factors have to do with behaviour.

Non-modifiable risk factors

Non-influenceable risk factors are factors that you cannot influence yourself. For example, your age or the presence of another disease or disorder. Family history can also play an important role in some diseases. Some diseases, or predispositions to diseases, can be passed on from parent to child. These are called hereditary or familial diseases.

You cannot directly influence the non-modifiable risk factors. However, there are things you can do. If a certain disease occurs in several family members, it is good to discuss this with your family doctor. The doctor can assess whether it could be hereditary. Another possibility is that certain habits or environmental factors increase the risk of that disease. The doctor can inform you and your family members about this.

Be alert to complaints

If you have any complaints that do not go away within a few weeks, it is always wise to see your family doctor. For some complaints, it is even advisable to contact your doctor quickly. These complaints are called alarm signals or alarm symptoms. These alarm signals do not always indicate a serious condition. However, it is important to discuss alarm signals with your doctor. Your doctor can determine whether further examination is necessary.

Many symptoms can be alleviated by making changes to your diet or lifestyle. For some symptoms, there are also so-called self-care products available at the pharmacy or drugstore. Self-care products are medications that are available without a prescription. Never use these medications on your own for an extended period of time.

Discuss the symptoms with your family doctor if they do not disappear on their own within a few weeks.

Symptoms and warning signs of oesophageal and/or stomach disorders
Symptoms and warning signs of intestinal disorders
Symptoms and warning signs of disorders of the liver, bile ducts and/or gall bladder

Be alert to risk factors

Some people have an increased risk of a certain (serious) disease, for example due to age, their own medical history or family history. If you know you have an increased risk, it is wise to be extra alert. You can also talk to your doctor about this risk. Perhaps there are things you can do to reduce the risk.

If a particular disease occurs in several of your family members, it is wise to discuss this with your doctor. The doctor can assess whether the disease may be hereditary and whether you may be at increased risk.

Take complaints seriously

Many people are reluctant to visit the doctor, especially when they have complaints relating to the digestive tract. Many people also do not go to the doctor because they dread an unpleasant examination. Or because they are afraid of a bad result and finding out that they have a serious illness.

This is all very understandable, but it is certainly not good. By postponing a visit to the doctor, the chance of early detection is reduced. Early detection means that the disease is diagnosed at the earliest possible stage. Early detection is important for the patient because the outlook is much better for many diseases if they are detected at an early stage. So it is important to be alert to symptoms, but it is equally important to respond quickly and see your doctor.

Look behind you!

It is a good idea to ‘look behind you’ every now and then after using the toilet. By regularly checking your faeces, you can obtain information about the health of your digestive system. For many people this is an embarrassing subject; they find it unpleasant or dirty to look at their faeces, let alone talk about it. That is a shame. Digestion and bowel movements are normal bodily processes. Just like breathing and blood circulation.

Regularly look back after using the toilet

The frequency of your bowel movements says something about your digestion and bowel function. Do you have to go to the toilet more than three times a day to have a bowel movement? Then you may be suffering from diarrhoea. If you go less than three times a week, we refer to this as constipation.

The shape and colour of your stool also provide information about the health of your digestive system. Normally, stool is brown and smooth. This can change depending on your diet, among other things. After eating spinach, the stool turns greenish. If you have eaten beetroot or redt cabbage, the stool can turn red. This is normal.

Changes in your stool can also indicate an illness. It is therefore important to regularly check your stool. If you notice anything unusual, discuss it with your doctor.

Below you will find a number of characteristics of stool that can indicate a particular complaint or illness.

The faeces have been in the intestine for too long. The large intestine extracts fluid from the faeces. If the faeces have been in the intestine for too long, they dry out and fall apart.

The stool may have passed too quickly through the large intestine. As a result, the large intestine has extracted little fluid from the stool. Your diet may play a role in this. Loose stools or diarrhoea can also occur with stomach flu or inflammation of the intestine.

If there is mucus in or on the stool, it is a sign that the intestine is irritated. This can indicate various intestinal disorders or complaints, ranging from harmless to serious. Do you regularly suffer from mucus in your stool, or was there a lot of mucus in your stool? If so, discuss it with your doctor.

If there is blood in your stool, it is wise to make an appointment with your family doctor. Blood in the stool can have many different causes, from harmless to serious. The family doctor can determine whether further examination is necessary.

This is also a reason to visit your doctor. Black, tar-like stools can indicate bleeding in the first part of the digestive tract, for example, bleeding in the oesophagus, stomach or small intestine. The blood then mixes with the stool, making it no longer recognisable as blood.

A discoloured stool can occur when there is little or no bile in the stool. Bile is produced by the liver and temporarily stored in the gallbladder. Bile is released into the small intestine through the bile ducts, where it mixes with the food mash. Bile is necessary for the proper digestion of fats. A discoloured stool can indicate a blockage in the bile ducts. The bile is then unable to reach the small intestine. Possible causes are gallstones, a narrowing or an inflammation of the bile ducts.