A cancer diagnosis triggers panic, and panic causes the part of your brain that makes critical decisions shut down. Understandably so. But this is no time to stop thinking. You need to take practical steps to inform yourself so you can feel in control of the decisions you make.

Are you having difficulty eating or feeling full quickly? Has it been going on for a while or getting worse? Are you worried this could be a symptom of ovarian cancer? It’s good that you’re paying attention because this can be a symptom of ovarian cancer. It can be difficult to tell the symptoms of ovarian cancer from other types of problems like digestive, so if you have this type of symptom, you want to make an appointment to see your OB/GYN to get checked out. This post will go over these symptoms, causes, and steps you can take to get to the root of the problem.

Abdominal bloating is one of the most common and recognizable symptoms of ovarian cancer. If you experience a feeling of fullness, tightness, or discomfort in your abdomen (belly), go see your OB/GYN to get it checked out. It’s easy to dismiss this symptom as having other causes such as food disagreeing with you, or IBS, or stress. And it’s possible any one of those things is the cause. But it’s also possibly gynecologic in nature. Ovarian cancer is called the “silent killer” because it’s often caught late, when it’s hard to fight. Knowing the symptoms and getting checked early is your best defense against this disease.

You don’t have to let the “silent killer” ovarian cancer sneak up on you. By paying attention to symptoms that aren’t so obvious, you can make sure to catch it early. One symptom is increased urinary frequency and urgency. While it may not occur to you at first, since that can have many causes, it’s important to go see your OB/GYN if you’re experiencing this symptom.

Changes in bowel function such as persistent or progressive constipation or diarrhea can be signs of ovarian cancer. While it’s not easy to talk about, and is easy to assume is due to other factors like IBS or digestive sensitivities, these can also be signs of ovarian cancer. If your bowel function has changed it’s important you see your OB/GYN to make sure the cause is not gynecologic in nature. Ovarian cancer is called the “silent killer” because its symptoms are hard to spot and it’s often caught late, when it’s harder to win the battle. Early detection is key, so get anything that’s happening in your abdomen or pelvis checked by an OB/GYN, even if it seem to be related to something else like digestion.

Any time you have persistent (doesn’t go away) or progressive (gets worse) pain, you should go see a doctor, no matter where it is on your body. If that pain is in your abdomen (tummy) or pelvis (lower region below your stomach), you need to see your OB/GYN. Period. End of story. There can be many reasons for abdominal or pelvic pain and you may rule out something gynecologic and go see a different doctor like a gastroenterologist (digestive system doctor). But this could be a symptom of ovarian cancer, uterine cancer, cervical cancer, or vaginal cancer, so don’t wait. Get it checked out.