Before discounting your persistent cough as a flu symptom, you might want to consider asking your doctor for a second opinion. Based on the research conducted by Cancer Research UK, about half of the adults experienced the early warning signs of cancer, but only around two percent of these adults believed that the signs are related with cancer. Here, we’ve rounded up six of the most ignored symptoms considered as a red flag for cancer.
1. Persistent Cough or Throat Hoarseness
Although a common cough is something that you shouldn’t worry about, a consistent cacophony – a cough accompanied with blood – should be a cause of concern. A persistent cough should be evaluated to see if it is an early warning sign of lung cancer. A chest X-ray or a CT scan should be done to rule out the possibility of cancer.
2. Changes in Your Bowel Habits
When you notice that your bowel habits aren’t as easy as they used to be, or if your stool appears to be deformed and is larger than normal, then this could be a red flag for colon cancer. It could mean that there’s a mass obstructing the stool transit from the bowel. In case you experience this symptom, do visit your doctor and have a colonoscopy scheduled for you to see if there really is a problem in your colon.
3. Unexplained Body Pain
While most pain is not related with cancer, a persistent and unexplained body pain is another story. Experiencing persistent pain in the chest, for instance, could be an indication that you might have a lung cancer. The same thing goes for a constant abdominal pain, which could be a sign of ovarian cancer.
4. Sudden Weight Loss
As we get older, we do our best just to lose weight. However, if your weight suddenly fall off without you putting in any effort, then that could be an indication of some serious medical problem. One of these problems could be a presence of tumour or malignancy.
5. Long Healing Sore
A sore that remains unhealed after a three-week mark should be immediately brought up with your doctor. During the three week period, your body should’ve already healed itself and a sore that remained unhealed after that period could be an indication that you have carcinoma.
6. Difficulty in Swallowing
This problem can be a sign of two cancers, the oesophageal and the neck cancer. Most people who experience this symptom often modify their diet without considering that it could be a sign of a more serious problem. In case you experienced this problem, do visit your doctor instead of performing some self-medication.
Most people see these symptoms as normal changes in the body, when it’s actually a red flag for a more serious problem. Now that you’re aware of the common and early signs of cancer, don’t hesitate to visit your doctor in case you experience any of the aforementioned symptoms.
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