12 Symptoms of Early Stage Lung Cancer to Watch Out for

In its early stages, lung cancer usually doesn’t show any symptoms. New symptoms can be diagnosed if it has entered an advanced stage. Therefore, recognizing the symptoms of early-stage lung cancer is important. Check out the full explanation below.

Various Symptoms of Early Stage Lung Cancer

The early symptoms of lung cancer are difficult to recognize, so the disease is only known after it has spread. The following are various symptoms of early-stage lung cancer, including:

1. Chronic Cough

The initial symptom of lung cancer that you may feel is a stubborn cough. Coughs can indeed be caused by many other conditions besides lung cancer, for example colds and other respiratory disorders.

However, coughs caused by other causes will generally only last for 1 to 2 weeks; be it a dry cough or cough with phlegm. Therefore, consult a doctor if the cough does not go away more than that time.

2. Bloody Cough

The next symptom of lung cancer is coughing up blood. Apart from a persistent cough, you should also pay attention to changes in the cough you are experiencing.

If a stubborn cough doesn’t go away and instead produces unusual blood and mucus, you should immediately consult your health doctor.

3. Chest Pain

Lung cancer can also cause symptoms of pain in the chest, shoulders, and even the back. This pain can even appear when you are not coughing.

Pain in the chest due to lung cancer can be limited to a certain area or even occur throughout the chest. This condition is caused by enlarged lymph nodes or due to metastases (spread of cancer) to the membranes around the lungs or ribs.

4. Respiratory Disorders

If you are not breathing normally or not smoothly, this can also be a symptom of lung cancer.

Lung cancer sufferers will be more easily short of breath. This is because this disease can narrow and block the airways because fluid from the tumor accumulates in the chest.

Immediately consult a doctor if you experience shortness of breath after doing activities that you usually consider light and impossible to make

fatigue.

Also Read: Pleuropneumonia, Inflammation that Attacks the Lungs and Pleura

5. Voiced Breath

This condition of sounding breath is also known as wheezing. This condition can be caused by asthma or allergies.

However, if you are not used to experiencing these two conditions, maybe you need to be aware that the wheezing you are experiencing is a symptom of lung cancer. Appearing sounds like whistling while breathing can be caused by inflamed airways, narrowing, and blocking the lungs.

6. Changes to Voice

In addition to changes in breathing, symptoms of lung cancer can also be seen in voice changes.

Having a hoarse voice can be caused by a cold, but hoarseness due to lung cancer may last for a longer time.

A hoarse or deeper voice can occur when the tumor invades the nerves that control the voice box or larynx.

7. Weight Loss

Most chronic respiratory diseases can cause weight loss, and lung cancer can also.

Weight loss can be caused by a decrease in appetite, a change in the way the body uses energy from food, or the result of cancer cells using the body’s energy.

If you experience weight loss for no apparent reason, you should consult a doctor to find out the cause.

8. Headaches

Headaches can be a symptom of various diseases and it turns out that this condition is also a symptom of lung cancer.

Tumors in the lungs can cause pressure on the superior vena cava which is a large blood vessel that carries blood from the upper body to the heart. This condition can trigger headaches.

Also Read: 7 Ways to Detect Lung Cancer

9. Fatigue

Lung cancer can cause sufferers to experience severe fatigue. This condition can cause difficulty in carrying out daily activities.

Fatigue occurs because lung cancer can cause the number of red blood cells in the body to decrease (anemia).

Please note, the function of red blood cells is to carry oxygen, which means that people with anemia do not have enough oxygen to help the body’s needs. This condition can trigger severe fatigue.

10. Bone Pain

Another feature of lung cancer is bone pain which generally occurs in the back, but can also affect other parts of the body.

Bone pain is caused by cancer cells that have spread to the bones. Bone pain and muscle pain are different, generally bone pain will worsen at night and when moving the bone.

11. Stomach Problems

About one or two people with cancer may experience a condition called hypercalcemia, which is too much calcium in the blood. This condition can cause stomach disturbances such as constipation and nausea.

12. Recurrent Lung Infection

Lung cancer is usually recognized after the patient has been treated for having recurrent bronchitis or pneumonia.

If the tumor develops near the airways, this condition can cause blockages and lead to infection.

If you have recurrent lung infections, you should immediately consult a doctor for proper diagnosis and treatment.

NowThose are the various symptoms of early-stage lung cancer that you need to be aware of. It’s important to know, having one or more symptoms doesn’t necessarily mean you have lung cancer; because the diagnosis can only be made by a doctor. Hopefully this information is useful, Healthy Friends.

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