Lung cancer is a serious health issue that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment. It is caused due to malignant tumors developing in the tissue of your lungs and spreading to nearby areas. If not treated on time, lung cancer can prove to be fatal.
Lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer deaths across the world. With smoking being the most common cause of lung cancer, unhealthy lifestyles often lead to issues as serious as these. It is always advisable to live a healthy life and embrace a healthy lifestyle to stay away from lung cancer.
One of the most effective ways of tackling lung cancer is to be aware of the symptoms at an early stage. Instead of discarding them as minor and irrelevant symptoms, make sure you identify the signs that hint towards an issue as serious as lung cancer. If you get diagnosed and treated at an early stage, the chances of returning to a healthy life increase. Finding the best lung cancer hospital in new delhi can be one of the most benefical aspect to tacial the harmful lung cancer before its too late.
The key is to identify the first signs of lung cancer and take swift action. Here are a few major symptoms that require your attention when it comes to tackling lung cancer:
It is common for people to take a symptom as trivial as a cough lightly until they experience some serious implications. If you develop a new cough that lingers for too long, make sure you take the matter seriously. While a cough associated with flu or common cold ideally goes away in a week’s time, lung cancer causes a cough that stays much longer with you.
Especially if you are a regular smoker, pay attention to the changes in your cough. If you experience a significant change in the way you cough, there may be a cause to worry about.
Seek medical help and get diagnosed if:
Wheezing is another common sign leading to lung cancer that should be taken seriously. If the tumor in your lung blocks the air passage or makes it narrower, it may result in breathing changes that last longer. This is also the case when the fluid from a tumor starts building up in the chest.
If you feel winded or short of breath, take note of the situation and see how long it lasts. If the issue does not go away for several days, you should get yourself diagnosed with lung cancer. Moreover, do not ignore if you experience shortness of breath after performing simple tasks such as climbing stairs despite being healthy.
When the tumor in your lungs blocks or inflames your airways, the lungs often produce a wheezing/whistling sound as you breathe. This sound is different from the one made during the common cold and blocked nostrils. While wheezing is not always a symptom of lung cancer, it is better to seek medical help and let your doctor know about the same.
Pain in your chest, back, or shoulders can also be considered an early sign of lung cancer. This happens when you cough excessively throughout the day. Make sure you approach your doctor when the pain in your chest is sharp, intermittent, dull, or constant. These issues are often too dangerous to ignore.
Also, notice whether you are experiencing pain in a specific portion of your chest or the entire region. The chest pain caused by lung cancer often results due to enlarged lymph nodes or chest wall metastasis. Similar pain may occur in the lining around your lungs or even ribs.
If your lung cancer spreads to your bones, it results in back aches or pain in other body parts. This bone pain is often worse at night and increases as you move your body.
If your lung cancer metastasizes to your brain, it may also result in frequent headaches. While not all lung cancer cases involve brain metastases, make sure you do not ignore the symptom.
If you notice a gradual change in your voice without any explainable reasons, you should start getting worried about the cause. In most cases, the patient does not realize a change in their voice. If you are told by people around you about a significant change in the way you sound, you may want to take the issue seriously. While even a simple cold can make your voice hoarse, issues like lung cancer make it linger. This is because the tumor hampers the nerve controlling your voice box.
Another major symptom that may hint towards lung cancer is unexplained weight loss. This is a common symptom of all major cancers. If you notice such weight loss along with any of the symptoms discussed above, make sure you visit your doctor for a diagnosis.
Such a drop in weight occurs because the cancer cells use more energy from your body. You also lose weight because the manner in which your body uses food energy changes after the formation of a cancerous tumor. Do not ignore a drop in your weight if you are not making an active effort for the same.
Lung cancer may result in droopy eyelids and smaller pupils. Seek medical help if the issue does not go away. If your skin and eye start getting yellow, it is a sign of jaundice. This may also imply that your cancer has started affecting your liver. If your health gets worse, approach your doctor to confirm what the problem is all about.
These were some first signs of lung cancer that should not be avoided. Please do not make the mistake of ignoring any of these symptoms, as they may have life-threatening implications. Seek medical help as soon as possible and start your journey toward recovery.
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