The lungs are two spongy organs that are located in the chest. This spongy organ helps to take into the body oxygen when the individual inhales and releases carbon dioxide from the body when the individual exhales. This is one of the vital organs that are responsible for the removal of toxins that are inhaled from the body.
Cancer of the Lungs
When the individual inhales toxic air consistently, it could propel the possibilities of the individual developing the cancer of the lungs. Lung cancer starts in the lungs, and it has led to an alarming rate of demise in the world. The cancer of the lungs is common in both men and women.
This is a serious global challenge as it is discovered that in the United States the cancer of the lungs is claiming more lives than the cancer of the colon or prostate and breast combine. As smoking is becoming a global and common phenomenon, smokers expose themselves to a considerable risk of lung cancer.
This is simply because of the toxic nature of the kind of content they smoke. It has also been projected that nonsmokers can also develop the deadly disease. When individuals do a lot of smoking for a long period of time, the person is virtually increasing the risk of having lung cancer. This is the reason why physicians always advise smokers to quit the habit of smoking. It is evident that individuals that have stopped smoking are less susceptible to having lung cancer.
This is because the detection of lung cancer at an early stage is not so common. The signs that come with the early stages of the cancer are few and not as discomforting to life that it may even pass unnoticed. In terms of diagnosis, there are no confirmed screening tests to be carried out in the early stages to be able to detect the disease. This is the primary reason why the cancer of the lungs is claiming more women’s lives on a yearly basis than ovarian and breast cancer.
The most unfortunate scenario of this particular disease is that most patients with the disease are diagnosed when cancer has become advanced. It will have likely spread to other parts of the body. So in such case, the patient must have gone past the second cancer stage to the third before treatments and therapy would commence. In this situation the patient’s chances of survival become slim. Now the American Lung Association had been able to recommend that the individuals that are at higher risk of having the disease should regularly report for diagnosis. This would give the physician the signal to follow through with the best kind of treatment in the early stage if discovered. When lung cancer is advanced, it becomes more evident as the individual would begin to experience lots of noticeable symptoms.
This is because of advanced stages of lung cancer project symptoms like loss of weight, severe pain in the bone, headaches and much more. It is important to note that when the cancer of the lungs starts to spread, it typically goes to the bone. This leads to severe pains in the bone.
This has made multiple cancer institutes and lung cancer initiatives to start conducting aggressive awareness to educate them on the dangers of cancer of the lungs. However, individuals that are diagnosed with the disease do not initially record many symptoms in the early stage. All these are not discovered before it spreads, but it is good to know that lung cancer is associated with numerous common conditions which present not as typical symptoms of lung cancer.
Persistent Chronic Cough
So, it is important for us to study the early changes and warning signs that are experienced with the breathing and lungs of the individual. Some of the early signs of the cancer of the lungs come with a chronic cough. It is one of the earlier signs noticed by people. A tumor can also be discovered growing, and it could be relatively large.
It is dangerous because the tumor growth may be silent, and when the tumor grows to an extent, it starts to affect the patient. Then it is very important to be cautious at times like this as the situation needs proper monitoring. If the cough persists for more than two weeks and antibiotics have used based on prescription, then the individual must return to the hospital.
Coughing Blood – Hemoptysis
Other early warning signs that come with lung cancer is coughing up blood. The lungs are supplied by blood vessels, and when the tumor begins to grow and interferes with these vessels, it leads to the individual bringing out blood during the process of coughing. In this case, the patient needs to see a physician quickly. Signs like being lightheaded, dizziness needs quick medical attention especially when it is associated with coughing.
Shortness of Breath
The warning signs for the cancer of the lungs too comes with difficulty in breathing. This can be a potential symptom for cancer of the lung. Though it becomes obvious in the later stages and can show up just in a situation where the tumor is blocking the breathing space.
Pain in the Chest
Another symptom that shows the possibility of having cancer of the lung is chest pain. For instance, if the tumor spreads to the wall of the chest with swelling of the lymph nodes in the chest region, it can lead to pain in the chest, back, or in the shoulder. There are times when pain is felt in a part of the body away from the affected area due to the origination of the nerves. This is why it is essential to visit the hospital when you feel pain at the back, shoulder, or chest.
Finally, it is crucial to see a physician when some things are not feeling right. This would help the individual catch the early signs of the disease. In the end, listening to the body, proper nutrition, rest and exercise is an excellent way to start.
