Your body gives you signs that something is wrong with your help even before you do tests. Paying attention to the signs you are given can help you discover whether you have a disease such as cancer that you may sometimes find out when it’s already too late.
Indirect symptoms
- Wheezing/shortness of breath
Most lung cancer patients have experienced this symptom early without connecting it to cancer at first.
- Frequent fevers or infections
This is usually a sign of leukemia, a cancer type that starts in the bone marrow and affects the blood cells. It causes increased production of leukocytes which make your body unable to fight infections.
- Difficulty swallowing
It can indicate either lung or throat cancer.
- Weakness and fatigue
When combined with other symptoms these two are also good indicators that cancer is growing in your body.
- Feeling full and unable to eat
Loss of appetite and feeling full even if you haven’t eaten can be a sign of ovarian cancer.
- Anorexia
It usually indicates that you have pancreatic cancer. A sudden loss of desire for coffee, cigarettes or whine can also be a symptom of this type of cancer.
Visible body changes
- Rectal bleeding or bloody stool
It indicates colorectal cancer. Once you notice blood in the toilet, consult your doctor immediately,
- Lumps in the neck, underarm or groin area
Swelling of lymph nodes is a sign that there are certain changes in the lymphatic system which can turn out to be cancer.
- Excessive bruising or bleeding that does not stop
These symptoms are caused with abnormalities in the red blood cells that could indicate leukemia. Leukemia also makes the body unable to carry oxygen properly thus cause blood clots.
- Bloating or abdominal weight gain
These symptoms have been noticed by patients with ovarian cancer.
- Unexplained weight loss
Cancer in some part of the digestive system usually causes unexplained weight loss. Also, it could indicate that cancer has spread to the liver thus affects the appetite and the ability of the body to remove waste.
- Red, sore or swollen breast
This is a sign of inflammatory breast cancer. Once you notice the first changes consult your doctor immediately. Breast cancer can also cause a nipple to become flattened, inverted or turned sideways.
- Swelling of facial features
Puffiness, swelling or redness of the face is something that many lung cancer patients notice. The lung cancer cells prevent the blood from flowing properly to the head by blocking the blood vessels in the chest.
- Sore lump on the skin that bleeds, becomes crusty or does not heal
This is usually a symptom of some types of skin cancer. Pay close attention to any weird looking spots or growths on your skin.
- Changes in nails
Skin cancer can also manifest through brown or black dots under the nails. Liver cancer manifests through pale or white nails. And lung cancer can cause enlargement of the fingers with nails that curve down over the tips.
- Pain
Bleeding between periods or unusually heavy and painful periods could be a sign of endometrial or uterine cancer.
- Chronic cough or chest pain
Lung cancer and leukemia sometimes mimic the symptoms of bronchitis and bad cough. Chest pain that extends to the shoulder and down to the arm is something that cancer patients also experience.
- Pelvic/Abdominal pain
Ovarian cancer or leukemia can also cause pain or cramping in the pelvis.
- Pain in the back or lower right side
This is very often a sign of liver cancer and sometimes breast cancer because the tumor often presses on the chest or spreads to the spine and ribs.
- Upset stomach
Colorectal cancer can be manifested through stomach cramps or frequently upset stomach.
How to reduce your risk
You can prevent cancer by taking vitamin D through foods, supplements of by spending time in the sun. Prostate cancer can be caused by insulin levels so make sure you keep them down by consuming less processed foods. Blood tests can help you monitor and control this.
Exercising regularly can also reduce your insulin levels and also keep your whole body in good health. Prostate risk can be reduced by consuming tomatoes and some berries and fruits that contain carotenoid pigment.
Avoid exposure to toxins such as chemical cleaners, pollution, synthetic air fresheners and pesticides. Long term exposure to cell phone radiation has been scientifically proven to cause brain tumors however the improvement of the cell phone technology has caused these links to be debated.