10 Cancer Symptoms Most People Ignore

Many people ignore or procrastinate when it comes to health screenings. Preventive health checkups and physical exams can help find underlying issues that could lead to cancer and other problems. It’s best to catch them when they are in their earliest stages and when they are much more likely to be curable. Certain symptoms should prompt a visit to the doctor just to rule out early signs of cancer. This article lists some troublesome symptoms of the early stages of cancer.  Of course your doctor should discuss these symptoms with you and perform the necessary physical examinations to determine whether you need any additional testing.

1. Noticeable Changes in Your Skin

Pay attention to any changes on your skin on every part of your body. Sores that never seem to heal may be signs of some types of cancer and should be checked by your doctor. Changes in moles or pigments can also be a cause of concern.

2. Extreme Fatigue

Extreme tiredness that does not get better with rest can be an early indicator. Leukemia, colon, or stomach cancer causes blood loss which can result in fatigue. Your doctor will need to do an exam and order blood tests to check your thyroid.

3. Change in Lymph Nodes

If you start to feel hard lymph nodes around your neck or under your arm, you should be seen by a doctor. However, swollen lymph nodes are sometimes caused by an infection. Keep in mind that lung, breast, head, or neck cancer can also show up as enlarged lymph nodes. The exam usually calls for a biopsy.

4. Persistent Cough

A persistent cough that lasts more than 2 or 3 weeks and is not due to an allergy or upper respiratory infection needs to be checked by your doctor. You don’t have to be a smoker to be at risk. The majority of lung cancers that nonsmokers get also occur in women.

5. Unexplained Changes in Weight

Unusual and unexplained changes in weight can be due to a buildup of fluid in the belly related to ovarian cancer. This should always make you checkup with your doctor. An unexplained change of 10 pounds or more may be the first sign of cancer.

6. Unusual Bloating

Ovarian cancer is usually undetected. If you have two or more symptoms daily for more than 2 weeks, call your doctor. The four most frequent symptoms are bloating, feeling full earlier than normal, frequent urination, low back pain and pelvic pain.

7. Persistent Headaches

We’ve all gotten headaches before and most of the time it is usually nothing. However if these headaches continue to persist and they affect your day to day life, then a medical professional should be contacted immediately.

8. Rectal Bleeding

Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in both men and women. One of the earliest signs is rectal bleeding. Most people automatically think that this is due to hemorrhoids. Ask your doctor to do a rectal exam and order a colonoscopy.

9. Postmenopausal Bleeding

Once you’ve gone 12 months without a period, you’ve probably reached menopause. Postmenopausal bleeding or blood clots should be checked out and are considered a warning signal. Such bleeding could indicate an endometrial polyp or even cervical cancer.

10. Changes in Appearance of Chest

Don’t ignore any lumps on your chests. If you feel something strange around that area, you should contact your medical professional for further evaluation.