dantechviews.com – The most common symptoms of lung cancer are similar to other respiratory diseases, namely coughing, chest pain and shortness of breath. Lung cancer not only occurs in the lungs but also in the thorax cavity, aka the mediastinum, namely the cavity between the two right and left lungs.
This cancer can also originate from cancer in other parts of the body that spreads to the lungs.
Not a few people find it difficult to differentiate between lung cancer and other respiratory diseases. But actually, there are other signs of lung cancer that sufferers often ignore.
As a result of this ignorance, most patients suffering from lung cancer receive treatment late because they are not aware of these symptoms.
Friends of the health center, let’s take a closer look at the following symptoms of lung cancer that should not be ignored.
Lung Cancer Symptoms
Lung cancer is all malignant diseases in the lung tissue that originate from cells in the lungs (primary) or malignancies from outside the lungs which in medical terms are called metastases.
The two main types of this type of cancer are small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
The way to differentiate respiratory problems from the main symptoms of lung cancer is to look at how long you have been coughing and whether there are any risk factors that trigger it.
Some symptoms of lung cancer that are easy to recognize are persistent coughing, coughing up blood, shortness of breath and chest pain. The following is a complete explanation of a number of lung cancer symptoms to watch out for.
1. Continuous Cough
An easily recognized characteristic of lung cancer is a persistent cough. These symptoms occur in 60-70% of lung cancer patients.
Considering that lung cancer is chronic, coughing will occur for more than 2 weeks.
Sometimes an abnormal tube (fistula) forms between the esophagus and bronchi, causing severe coughing during the swallowing process because food and liquid go directly into the lungs.
2. Bloody Cough
In increasingly severe conditions, coughing can produce phlegm containing blood.
When cancer grows into the blood vessels below the lungs, it can cause severe bleeding.
If a friend of the health center experiences a bloody cough and has risk factors such as smoking, you should immediately see a doctor.
3. Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath is a symptom of early stage lung cancer caused by the accumulation of fluid around the lungs (pleural effusion).
Then, when the cancer has spread in the lungs, shortness of breath will feel even more intense due to low blood oxygen levels.
This can trigger heart failure and even death.
4. Wheezing sounds appear
Wheezing or a high-pitched sound that is heard when breathing is another sign of lung cancer.
Some lung cancer patients experience wheezing that does not go away within 2 weeks. This is because there is narrowing of the airways in or around the place where the cancer grows.
5. Voice becomes hoarse
It turns out that lung cancer can damage the vocal cord nerves so that the patient’s voice can become hoarse. Usually, hoarseness will last for more than 2 weeks.
This change in voice to hoarseness is a symptom of early stage lung cancer which is often not realized.
6. Chest Pain
Almost all lung cancer patients experience chest pain, which radiates from the back to the shoulders. Often, this chest pain is also accompanied by a feeling of tightness in the chest.
When the tumor grows into the chest wall, this will cause persistent chest pain.
In the case of lung cancer, chest pain will feel severe when you cough, laugh and take a deep breath.
7. Lose weight
A sign of lung cancer that is often ignored is loss of appetite, which can trigger weight loss.
Patients will also experience swallowing problems because the cancer has grown directly into or near the esophagus.
These symptoms will also be accompanied by excessive fatigue, even if MIKA Friends are only doing normal activities.
8. Pain throughout the body
Another sign of lung cancer is pain throughout the body. This pain starts from the head, then disrupts balance.
In addition, if the cancer that occurs at the top of the lungs has grown into the nerves that lead to the arm, it will make the arm feel painful, numb and weak.
9. Horner’s syndrome
When the lung cancer that Friends of the Health Center experience has grown into certain nerves in the neck, it will trigger Horner’s Syndrome.
Symptoms experienced include sunken eyes, closing of the eyelids, small pupils, and reduced sweating on one side of the face.
10. Heart problems
Lung cancer can grow into the heart and cause abnormal heart rhythms, leading to heart enlargement.
11. Vein Blockage
Health center friends, lung cancer can also grow around the superior vena cava. If a vein is blocked, it can cause blood to flow back into other veins from the upper part of the body.
Some signs that lung cancer has blocked the veins are as follows:
- There is enlargement of the veins in the chest wall
- Swelling of the face, neck and upper chest wall (including the breasts). This swelling is accompanied by a purplish color.
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Shortness of breath, headaches, visual disturbances, dizziness and drowsiness. These symptoms generally get worse if the sufferer bends forward or lies down.
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