Going for annual health checkups is important but relying solely on these results does not exclude you from having cancer. Before cancer becomes easily apparent, there are early symptoms in your body that you can detect. These tell-tale signs may be the early cancer symptoms which, if left untreated or unchecked, could eventually be too late to treat. Hence, while cancer has no specific symptoms, you may not want to ignore early warning signs that could lead to early diagnosis and possibly to a successful cure. However, on the brighter side, every symptom for cancer may turn out to be just a harmless condition.
Here are some of these common tell-tale signs which have been usually overlooked.
Difficulty in urinating
The most common early symptom of prostate cancer is difficulty in urinating. The bladder retains the urine while creating frequent sensations to urinate, usually at night. The urine flow is slow, weak and intermittent.
Diarrhea and constipation
Frequent diarrhea, constipation and unexplained stomach aches are early symptoms of colon cancer or other forms of cancer.
Unexplained weight loss
If you are losing weight when there have been no changes to your diet or exercise routine, this may be an early symptom of colon cancer or other digestive cancers. It can also be associated with tuberculosis, diabetes and many other medical conditions.
Chronic cough and chest pain
It is extremely difficult to pinpoint which particular type of cancer as several types of cancer, including leukemia and lung tumors, can cause and share these symptoms. If the symptoms persist or recur more than normal, these are early warning signs which cannot be dismissed without further screening.
Blood in the stool
A sign of colorectal cancer is blood in the stool or rectal bleeding which most people mistake it for hemorrhoids.
Blood in the urine
Bladder cancer has early symptoms of blood in the urine, frequent and/or painful urination.
Difficulty in swallowing
Although this is a common problem among the elderly people, it cannot be taken lightly as this may be an early symptom of cancer of the esophagus.
Headaches
Changes in vision, headaches and dizziness are early warning signs of brain cancer especially if these symptoms do not go away.
Tiredness or fatigue
Tiredness is an early symptom of leukemia or anemia. It can also be a early sign of pancreatic cancer or other forms of cancer
Swellings or lumps
Lumps on your body may represent cancer or a swollen lymph gland related to cancer. Enlarged lymph nodes indicate changes in the lymphatic system, which can be a sign of cancer. A lump or an enlarged lymph in the neck or underarm is sometimes a sign of thyroid, head, or throat cancer. A painless lump on the neck or underarm can be an early symptom of leukemia. Lumps in the testicles may be cancer of the testicle. However, often the swellings are not cancerous.
The above is not an exhaustive list of all symptoms. You must watch for any abnormal warning signs in your body. Always consult the medical specialist when you notice that these symptoms do not go away. It may turn out to be non-cancerous, so go for early diagnosis.. it may save your life
By: Ken Soh
Ken Soh is in the health care industry and is a writer on health articles