Lung cancer warning signs can easily be detected once they are manifested by the patient. These warnings signs will caution anyone that he or she might have the disease.
Some of the prominent signs of lung cancer are: hoarseness, shortness of breath, weight loss and anorexia, chronic cough, bloody sputum, infections that are recurring and chest pain. It is advisable that one must see a doctor immediately once two or more warning signs are experienced.
Hoarseness
A change in the voice which is considered as an abnormal change is referred to as hoarseness. One of the main causes of hoarseness is smoking. In someone who is hoarse, the voice tends to become raspy, evident changes in the pitch or volume, breathy, and strained. Usually, changes in the voice are related to the disorders affecting the larynx or voice box. When there are certain lumps, aberrations, or swelling, voice vibration is hindered which causes pitch, voice quality and volume alteration.
Shortness of breath
Dyspnea or otherwise known as shortness of breath is the difficult feeling of labored breathing which contributes to disproportion of a person's physical activities. It is a symptom that can be life threatening which is caused by several diseases. In lung cancer, shortness of breath is caused by airway obstruction due to infection, inhalation of an irritant or a foreign object and hemorrhage.
Weight loss due to anorexia
Anorexia is an eating disorder that can lead to severe weight loss. A person experiencing anorexia due to lung cancer is usually unintentional because of the pain and discomfort caused by the disease. In anorexia due to lung cancer, a person losses its appetite that causes him or her to eat less than the usual amount needed or normal body requirement. Because of not wanting to eat, the person results to extreme weight loss and an imbalanced nutrition.
Chronic cough
This is a kind of cough that lasts for more than two weeks. Worse, this is the kind of cough that doesn't easily go away and is not usually resolved with cough medications. Because chronic cough is annoying, it is considered as one of the reasons why people immediately consult their doctor. Still, the most common cause of chronic cough is smoking or inhalation of secondhand smoke.
Bloody sputum
Sputum, otherwise known as spit, can become bloody due to injuries inflicted on the lip, mouth, trachea, and even the tubes of the respiratory system. The determination of bleeding location is important in order to identify the appropriate intervention needed upon it. Some of the blood may also come from coughing, vomiting, bleeding of the gastrointestinal tract, bleeding of the gums, and other symptoms.
Chest pain
Out of the recurrent coughing symptoms which is most likely chronic, chest pain is expected to be present from the occurrence of the coughing episodes. Chest pain can be localized or can become migrating depending on how severe the lung cancer has become. Pain can be manifested as a squeezing, crushing and severe pain present on a person's chest which lasts for about a few minutes or when the person coughs severely.
Most of these warning signs are treacherous enough that it can kill. That is why, the moment one experiences more than one of these lung cancer warning signs, it is advisable that you consult your physician immediately.
Charlene J. Nuble is a healthcare professional who loves writing about health related stuffs. Click on the link to learn more about Lung Cancer Warning Signs.
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