If you have never smoked or even been raised by smokers, then you would think that you are likely going to be invincible from ending up with lung cancer. However, that is not really the case at all. If there is a genetic component that makes you predisposed to lung cancer, then you are at risk of getting it. The only way to know is either being aware of family members who never smoked or even lived in areas with high pollution getting it or taking a DNA test yourself to see if you are likely to end up with the disease.
The thing with lung cancer is that you will not necessarily know if you have it since the symptoms can come on late, to the point where it has spread. However, there are also signs that show up that are more subtle but can be indicative that you have lung cancer. There are eight subtle signs that you may have lung cancer that you cannot ignore. The signs are:
Shortness Of Breath
You may think that the shortness of breath may be due to allergies, and you may think you have a virus but if you do not have a virus and you have taken allergy medication, and the symptom is not better, you will need it looked at. The shortness of breath could be caused by small tumors growing in the bronchial tubes.
A Persistent Cough
You may also think that a persistent cough is due to allergies or a stubborn cold that won’t go away. However, it is not normal to have a cough that keeps happening because even with allergies, the coughing does stop. And colds do not last too long unless you have a weak immune system. Either way, you need to see your doctor if the cough does not go away.
Rust-Colored Sputum
Are you coughing up bloody sputum? That can be normal if you have a virus or even allergies can do it as the lining of the bronchial tubes can become inflamed and small blood vessels can break. However, at the same time, you can never ignore it if you have been coughing rust-colored sputum for more than a week straight.
Chest Pain That Coincides With Breathing
If you have chest pain that worsens as you breathe deeply, laugh, or cough, then that is not normal. You may think it could be signs of walking pneumonia, and it could be that. However, if you are experiencing chest pain as you breathe deeply, or cough, or laugh, then you will need to see a doctor if it persists. Even if it is a new symptom, you do not want to ignore it because it also can be a sign of pneumonia.
Fatigue
Fatigue can be a sign of numerous ailments, and fatigue alone will not necessarily mean you have lung cancer. However, if the fatigue coincides with some of the other symptoms, then that can be a bad sign.
Loss Of Appetite Or Weight Loss
Like fatigue, loss of appetite, or weight loss alone is not a sign that you have lung cancer. However, if you have any of the other symptoms, that is when you need to worry. Any unexplained weight loss that coincides with or without loss of appetite is a cause for alarm.
Hoarseness
If you all of the sudden experience hoarseness and you don’t smoke, or you have not been ill, or you don’t even have a sore throat, that can be a cause for concern. Especially if it coincides with any of the other symptoms above.
Recurring Respiratory Infections
If you can’t seem to overcome pneumonia or bronchitis, then that is a bad sign that you could have lung cancer. Especially if you have not experienced other ailments that tie in with having a low immune function.
If you have any of these symptoms, even if you don’t have all of them, you must see your doctor so they can run tests on you to see if you have lung cancer. You do not want to get to a point where it becomes advanced.
