5 Signs Your Gut Needs Attention in Mount Pleasant, SC

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, ABAAHP  |  Published August 4, 2025  |  Last updated October 6, 2026  |  16 min read

Gut symptoms are common. Here are the five signs that federal health agencies say to take to a doctor, what each one means, and where colorectal screening fits.

This guide sorts the five signs on those agency lists from everyday discomfort, explains why colorectal screening now starts at 45, and shows you how to prepare for a visit.

• Gut symptoms are very common: in a national survey of 71,812 Americans, 61% reported at least one digestive symptom in the past week.[1]
• Five signs on federal agency lists call for talking to a doctor: a change in bowel habits, blood in the stool or vomit, unexplained weight loss, trouble swallowing or persistent vomiting, and abdominal pain that does not go away.[4][5][7]
• NIDDK says to seek medical help right away for signs of acute GI bleeding, such as black or tarry stool or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, and to seek emergency help for signs of shock.[5]
• Fatigue, a skin rash, or low mood can sometimes trace back to the gut, and celiac disease is one documented example.[6]
• Adults at average risk should begin colorectal cancer screening at 45, but that advice is for people without symptoms. If you have symptoms, the CDC advises talking to your doctor about them.[7][8]
• The American Cancer Society reports that colorectal cancer rates in people younger than 50 rose 2.9% per year from 2013 to 2022.[9]

How common are gut symptoms, really?

Very common. In a study published in 2018, researchers surveyed 71,812 Americans using validated questionnaires from the National Institutes of Health. Sixty-one percent had experienced at least one gut symptom in the previous seven days.[1] The most frequent were heartburn or reflux (30.9%), abdominal pain (24.8%), bloating (20.6%), diarrhea (20.2%), and constipation (19.7%).[1]

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) estimates that 60 to 70 million people in the United States are affected by digestive diseases of all kinds.[2] Irritable bowel syndrome alone affects about 12% of people in the US, and women are up to two times more likely than men to develop it.[3] If your gut acts up now and then, you are in very large company.

Common symptoms also often go unmentioned. The authors of that national survey pointed to earlier research in which only 19% of people with abdominal pain, 16% with bloating, and 9% with diarrhea had talked to a physician about it.[1] So the useful question is not “is this normal?” It is “has this changed, is it getting worse, and does it come with any of the signs below?”

Which five gut signs mean you should see someone?

These five come straight from the warning lists that federal health agencies publish for colorectal cancer, reflux disease, and digestive bleeding. None of them is a diagnosis. Each one appears on a list that says to talk to or see a doctor.[4][7]

1. A change in your bowel habits. The CDC lists a change in bowel habits among the possible signs of colorectal cancer, along with diarrhea, constipation, or feeling that the bowel does not empty all the way.[7] The CDC also notes that these symptoms may be caused by something other than cancer, and that the only way to know the cause is to see your doctor.[7]

2. Blood you can see, or stool that turns black. NIDDK lists hemorrhoids and anal fissures (small tears) among the causes of bleeding in the lower digestive tract, and the CDC lists blood in or on the stool as a possible sign of colorectal cancer.[5][7] NIDDK describes black or tarry stool, bright red blood in vomit, and vomit that looks like coffee grounds as symptoms of acute GI bleeding, and it says to seek medical help right away for symptoms of acute or severe GI bleeding.[5]

3. Weight loss you cannot explain. Weight loss you don't know the reason for shows up on the CDC colorectal list, and unexplained weight loss is on NIDDK's list of symptoms that call for a doctor in people with reflux.[4][7] Loss of appetite is on that NIDDK list too.[4]

4. Trouble swallowing, or vomiting that keeps coming back. NIDDK tells people with reflux to see a doctor for problems swallowing or pain while swallowing, for persistent vomiting, and for chest pain.[4] Call 911 for sudden or severe chest pain.

5. Belly pain that does not go away, or anemia. Abdominal pain, aches, or cramps that do not go away appear on the CDC list.[7] So does anemia, which the CDC describes as low levels of iron in your blood.[7] NIDDK notes that, over time, chronic GI bleeding can cause anemia, with symptoms that may include feeling tired, pale skin, and shortness of breath, and that doctors can order stool and blood tests to check for bleeding too small to see.[5] A complete blood count, part of our annual full panel labs, screens for anemia.

Some signs skip the appointment step entirely. NIDDK warns that severe acute GI bleeding can lead to shock, with symptoms such as confusion or unconsciousness, a fast heart rate, pale skin, cold hands and feet, and sweating, and it calls shock life-threatening.[5] Call 911 for signs of shock.

Is it everyday discomfort or a red flag?

The grid below pairs common gut symptoms with possible causes that NIDDK describes and the features that the agency lists say should prompt a visit.

Notice what the right column is built from. It comes from the agency lists cited above, and it names features such as blood, weight loss, anemia, a change in bowel habits, or trouble swallowing, rather than how intense a symptom feels.

Can your gut really cause fatigue, skin problems, or low mood?

Sometimes, and celiac disease is one documented example. NIDDK notes that some people with celiac disease have symptoms that affect other parts of the body, including tiredness, joint or bone pain, depression or anxiety, headaches, and an itchy, blistering rash called dermatitis herpetiformis.[6] Among people with untreated celiac disease, about 10 to 20 percent of adults have that rash.[6] Some people with celiac disease have no symptoms at all, and NIDDK points out that they can still develop complications over time without treatment.[6]

Celiac disease can be tested for. Celiac blood tests look for antibodies that are often high in untreated celiac disease, and our gut health page explains that testing, along with what popular gut tests can and cannot show.

If tiredness is your main complaint, our post on signs your body might need nutritional therapy covers the nutrition side, and our thyroid care page explains how an underactive thyroid can cause fatigue and how it is tested.

Irritable bowel syndrome deserves its own note. NIDDK describes it as a group of symptoms, repeated belly pain plus changes in bowel movements, that happen without visible damage to the digestive tract.[3] NIDDK classes it as a functional gastrointestinal disorder, tied to problems with how the gut and the brain work together.[3] Our gut health page also explains that certain warning signs call for further examination before anyone calls it IBS.

Why does colorectal screening start at 45 now?

In 2021 the US Preventive Services Task Force lowered the starting age for colorectal cancer screening. It now recommends screening all adults aged 50 to 75 (a grade A recommendation) and adults aged 45 to 49 (grade B).[8] For people aged 76 to 85, the decision is individual, based on overall health, past screening, and personal preference.[8] If you are 45 or older and have never been screened, ask about it at your next visit.

The reason for the earlier start shows up in the numbers. The American Cancer Society reports that colorectal cancer rates in people younger than 50 rose 2.9% per year from 2013 to 2022.[9] It also reports that death rates in people under 55 have been rising about 1% per year since the mid-2000s, even as they fall in older adults.[9] The CDC symptom list cited here does not set an age limit for talking to your doctor about these symptoms.[7]

Screening does not have to mean a colonoscopy. The Task Force lists several options with different intervals:[8]

• A stool test for hidden blood (high-sensitivity guaiac test or fecal immunochemical test, called FIT) every year
• A combined stool DNA and FIT test every one to three years
• CT colonography every five years
• Flexible sigmoidoscopy every five years, or every ten years with a yearly FIT
• Colonoscopy every ten years

If a stool test, CT colonography, or sigmoidoscopy comes back abnormal, a follow-up colonoscopy is needed to finish the evaluation.[8] The Task Force notes that each test has different considerations that may help or get in the way of completing it,[8] and a primary care visit is a place to weigh which option fits your history; we can help arrange whichever option you pick.

One distinction matters here. Those screening intervals are written for adults with no symptoms who are at average risk.[8] The Task Force recommendation does not cover people with a prior colorectal cancer, precancerous (adenomatous) polyps, inflammatory bowel disease, or a hereditary cancer syndrome such as Lynch syndrome.[8] The CDC notes that you could have polyps or colorectal cancer and not know it, which is why it calls regular screening so important.[7] If you already have one of the five signs above, the screening recommendation is not written for you, because it covers adults without signs or symptoms;[8] the CDC advises talking to your doctor about those symptoms.[7]

Not sure whether your symptoms can wait? Call 843-981-0870 and tell us what you are noticing. If you have new bowel changes, blood in your stool, or other warning signs, say so when you call.

How do you get answers about your gut in Mount Pleasant or Charleston?

Start with notes. If you have none of the five warning signs, a week or two of notes before your visit can help you describe what has changed. If you do have one, do not wait on notes: call, and bring whatever you already have.

• Write down what changed and when. Note how often you go, what your stool looks like, and whether that is new for you.
• Record any blood, black stool, vomiting, night symptoms, or weight change, with dates.
• List every medicine and supplement you take, including over-the-counter products and anything bought online, or bring the bottles.
• Ask relatives about colorectal cancer, celiac disease, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis in the family.
• Gather recent lab results and any colonoscopy or stool test reports, even old ones.
• Note what you have already tried, such as cutting foods or starting a probiotic, and what happened.

As our gut health page describes, a visit with Ashley begins by sorting out what your symptoms most likely are: a common, manageable problem such as IBS, or a warning sign that needs prompt testing or a gastroenterologist. The aim is to use the tests that answer a real question. When a specialist is needed, we help you get there quickly. Otherwise the plan is built around food, sleep, and stress, with nutritional therapy when it makes sense.

If you have no warning signs and want a calmer, more regular gut, our companion guide on how to improve gut health naturally covers fiber, fermented foods, sleep, and what the probiotic research really shows. You can see Ashley at our office on Bramson Court in Mount Pleasant or at The Longevity Club on Rutledge Avenue in downtown Charleston, and you can book online or call.

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C PA-C, ABAAHP · Founder, Solcara Health Online

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About the author

Ashley Harwyn, PA-C, ABAAHP

Founder, Solcara Health · Diplomate, American Board of Anti-Aging Health Practitioners (ABAAHP)

Ashley has practiced medicine for more than fifteen years. Her path into it began at home, with a family member born with a congenital heart defect and a childhood spent watching how much the quality of a clinician's attention could change the shape of a life. She has since practiced across a range of settings, including medical mission work in Uganda, before founding Solcara to build the kind of practice she kept wishing existed, one that treats patients as whole people and tells them the truth about what the evidence does and does not support.

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