Experts warn that some seemingly innocent and irritating facts of life can be cancer symptoms. These red flags for cancer should not be ignored as early diagnoses may mean a great difference between life and death.
1. Persistent cough
A cough that lasts more than 2 to 3 weeks and is not due to any upper respiratory infection needs to be checked by a doctor. While smoking and being exposed to secondhand smoke is the number one cause of cancer in women, the majority of people suffering from lung cancer are non-smokers, according to Web MD.
2. Problems when peeing
While an enlarged prostate gland can cause problems when peeing, this can also be a symptom of prostate cancer. Peeing more often at night, dribbling, leaking or an urgent need to go can all be red flags for cancer.
3. Change in mole appearance
Melanoma is the deadliest form of cancer, which can appear on any part of the body. The most common sign of skin cancer is the appearance of a new mole or a difference in an existing mole such as a change in color and size.
4. Change in bowel habits
The three main symptoms of bowel cancer include a change in bowel habits, blood in the stool, and abdominal pain. While the vast majority of people who are diagnosed with bowel cancer occur in people over the age of 60, these probable cancer symptoms should not be ignored.
5. Unexplained change in breast
Most cancers are felt through the skin but many are felt through the breasts as a form of a lump. Similarly, dimpling of skin over the breast or red and thickened skin instead of a lump is also something to worry about, as this may be the first symptom of breast cancer.
6. Unexplained weight loss
Losing 10 pounds without even trying is not normal especially when this continues to happen for months. According to the American Cancer Society, losing weight for no reasons may be a cancer symptom for pancreas, stomach, or lung cancer, as reported by Daily Mail.
7. Unexplained bleeding
In the early and late stages of cancer, unexplained bleeding can occur. For example, coughing of blood, blood in the stool, blood in the urine or a bloody discharge from a nipple.
8. Unexplained pain
Pain is the easiest way to pinpoint that there is something wrong with the body. In many cases, pain as a cancer symptom is an indication that the disease has spread from its primary location in the body.
