Lungs bring in oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from our body during the breathing process. The ultimate result of cancer to this organ is death. The cancer cells may grow in either part of the lungs: the windpipe, the major airway or the lungs tissue. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each year 7.6 million people die because of cancer worldwide.
There are actually three main types of lung cancer.
However, the symptoms for lung cancer for all these types of cancer are more or less same. Some of them are:
Weight Loss
Losing weight is one of the main signs of all cancers including lungs cancer. You will start losing weight gradually, more than 10% of your normal body weight without doing any fitness exercise or changing your food habits. Weight loss is caused by the growing cancerous cells that compress your intestines, and suppress your appetite. That is the reason you need to go for check-up if you lose weight without any reason.
Soreness of Throat or Hoarseness
You suffer from Esophagitis, which means the inflammation and swelling of the throat. This is caused both by the cancer and the treatment for lung cancer that is radiation or chemotherapy also causes inflammation and swollen throat as side effects . This causes a change or huskiness in your voice and can be easily identified.
Body Ache
Because of lungs cancer you may also get unexplained body pain. If the pain is constant, or of the kind that goes away yet comes back within 4 weeks then, you need to consult with your doctor since it may be because of the cancer.
Shortness of breath
Lung cancer and its treatment possibly will reduce your Red Blood Cell (RBC) count which fails to transmit enough oxygen to body tissues. Red blood cells actually transmit oxygen to stimulate all the body cells. Because of lungs cancer, you will not get enough amount of oxygen and you will start feeling breathless and start vomiting blood.
Wheezing
Wheezing actually means a high-pitched whistling sound that crop up when you exhale out. Wheezing is caused by contracted air channels, which is possibly because of a tumor.
Fatigue
Fatigue is caused because of less energy in your body and does not go away until you take proper rest. Because of the cancer, the red blood cells count lessens in the body resulting in less energy to fulfill the body’s requirements. Tiredness, in fact, is a significant symptom that can be noticed as cancer grows.
Fever and Persistent cough
More or less all cancer patients get fever for a time. You will suffer from persistent cough that does not go away soon and becomes worse – even after the medication starts because its cure starts distressing the immune system. Due to the incapability of body’s immune system to fight against different infections, cancer patients suffer from headaches, loss of muscle control, and seizures. Make contact with your doctor without delay if you cough up blood-spattered mucus or blood.
The sooner you identify the symptoms of the lungs cancer, it is easier to cure and more possibly the treatment turns successful. So, go for the treatment to the doctor as soon as you feel you may possess these symptoms.