As with most diseases, there is not one particular set of symptoms that can be nailed down for everyone that has this problem.  One of the reasons that it is so difficult to do is because the polyps range in size from very small to an inch or two in diameter.  Most people don't even realize that they have these polyps unless they are found by a rectal examination by their physician.  There could be some things, however, that would let you know that you have this type of condition.  These would include bleeding from the rectum, constipation, diarrhea or bloody stool.  It's worth noting, however, that these symptoms could be caused from a wide variety of conditions so it would be worth being checked to see what is causing them.

The good news about polyps is that most of them are not cancerous in nature.  It's perfectly normal for these healthy cells to grow in a lump inside the colon although it can cause a lot of problems even if cancer is not present.  These polyps can also develop anywhere within the colon and can range in size from very small to fairly large.  Depending on the size of the polyp, cancer may be present as larger polyps carry an increased risk.

Treatment and Prevention For Colon Polyps

Your doctor will be double to give you treatment options as well as advice for preventing additional polyps in the future.  There may be times whenever the polyps will be left alone but there are also times when your doctor will want to remove them.  Most polyps are removed during a colonoscopy by looping them and snipping them with wire.  It might also be that smaller polyps are burnt by a low-level electrical current.  If the polyps are too large to be removed by one of these methods, surgery may be required.  Typically this is done by small incisions that are made in the abdomen through a process known as laparoscopic surgery.  Once the polyp is removed, new ones are not able to form in the same area.

One of the best things that you can do to prevent polyps from forming in the first place is to pay attention to your diet.  You should supplement your diet with calcium.  Although milk is thought to be generally unhealthy to drink, you can get calcium through standard supplements that are available through your health food store.  Including a lot of fiber in your diet is also important and this can be done through eating fruits and vegetables, preferably raw.  You should also make sure that you limit the amount of fats and alcohol that you're taking it on a daily basis.

Although it may take some effort on your part, keeping free from polyps and following a health regime which will assist you in doing this can not only take care of this problem, it can enhance other parts of your life as well.  It's just one more thing that you will not have to worry about if you make sure that you take care of it before they occur in the first place.