5 Signs You Should Get A Colonoscopy Before You Turn 45

It’s been frequently reported that colorectal cancer rates are increasing in young people in the United States.

In fact, according to the American Cancer Society, cases of colorectal cancer in people 55 and under have increased from 11% in 1995 to 20% in 2019 ― and since the late 1990s, colorectal cancer has moved up from the fourth cause of cancer death in people under 50 to the first cause of cancer death in men and second in women.

But when it comes to colorectal cancer detection, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that only adults between the ages of 45 and 75 should be screened. This can be done via several different methods, but the Food and Drug Administration calls a colonoscopy the “gold standard for screening.”

Given the rising rates of colorectal cancer instances in younger adults, it’s safe to say that many people should not wait until 45 for their first colonoscopy. Experts say certain symptoms, personal health history and family health history can be reason enough to get screened before then. Here’s when you may want to consider it:

You have blood in your stool.

“What would make me nervous or worried is someone who’s bleeding on and off seeing blood in the stool,” said Dr. Carole Macaron, a gastroenterologist at Cleveland Clinic.

According to the American Cancer Society, blood in your stool is not always indicative of cancer ― but it can be a sign.

“The passage of blood, even if it’s just blood on the toilet paper and you think and it probably is secondary to hemorrhoids, you should get that checked out,” said Dr. Reid Ness, an associate professor of medicine in the gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition department at Vanderbilt Health in Nashville, Tennessee. Whether it’s bright red