Signs and symptoms of lung cancer
Most lung cancers don’t show symptoms until they have widely spread. The best thing you can do when you start seeing or suspecting you have cancer is to seek treatment lung cancer Orange County-based. In many cases, your suspicion may not be cancer, but it is vital to see a doctor to be certain.
Some of the most common symptoms of lung cancer are;
- A persistent cough that gets worse with time
- A painful chest pain, especially when coughing, laughing, or deep breathing.
- Rust-colored sputum or causing blood
- Sudden weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling fatigued all the time
- Wheezing sound when breathing
- Persistent infections such as pneumonia and bronchitis
- Shortness of breath
Some lung cancer cases may get a bit complicated by spreading to other parts of the body. A patient may experience symptoms such as;
Changes in the nervous system cause headaches, weakness in the legs, dizziness, and seizures. When it spreads to the liver, it causes jaundice characterized by yellowing of the skin and eyes.
It may also cause inflammation of the lymph nodes on the neck or above the clavicle. Some cause a group of specific symptoms(syndromes). Examples are;
Horner Syndrome
These are syndromes mostly seen in patients with cancer of the upper part of the lungs. The cancer of the upper part of the lungs is called Pancoast tumors. This form of tumor affects a specific nerve in the eyes and a part of the face, resulting in a class of symptoms known as Horner syndrome. Examples of these symptoms are; weak upper eyelid, no sweating on the side of the face, and a smaller pupil in one of the eyes.
Paraneoplastic syndrome
These are problems caused by some lung cancer that causes hormone-like substances. When they enter the bloodstream, these substances affect distant organs even when the cancer is localized. Misdiagnosis is common since it affects other organs of the body. Another example of such a syndrome is super vena cava syndrome.
Being diagnosed early enables early treatment, and sometimes cancer can be cured. Thus, it is very important to seek medical assistance if you start showing such symptoms.
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