Who develop polyps most often?

Those who are more likely to develop polyps are those who:

• Eat a lot of fatty foods
• Smoke
• Drink alcohol
• Do not exercise
• Are overweight or obese

Who should be tested for polyps?

Talk to your doctor about the possibility of polyp testing if:

• you have symptoms
• you are over 45 years old
• someone in your family has developed polyps or colon cancer

What are the symptoms?

Most small polyps cause no symptoms. Often, patients are unaware of their existence until they are spotted by a doctor during a regular check up or during an unrelated examination.

It is possible, however, that some patients may have symptoms, such as the following:

• Bleeding from the anus. You may notice blood in your underwear or on toilet paper after bowel movements.
• Constipation or diarrhea that lasts more than a week.
• Blood in the stool. Blood may make stools look black or may appear as red streaks in them.

If you have any of these symptoms, see a doctor right away to see what the problem is.