Symptoms of lung cancer sudden (do you suffer from one of them)?
by health administration
Is it lung cancer?
In its early stages, lung cancer usually has no symptoms that you can see or feel.
But after infection, it often causes coughing, wheezing and chest pain.
But there are other, lesser-known effects that can manifest as well — in places you might not expect.
(Of course, lung cancer isn't the only thing that can cause these symptoms.) You can review the symptoms of lung cancer in the following points:
What are some unusual symptoms of lung cancer?
Increase the size, obesity and thickness of the fingers
Some lung tumors produce chemicals that are similar to hormones.
One of them pushes more blood and fluid into the tissues in your hand, so that it appears thicker or larger than usual.
The skin next to your nails may look shiny, or your nails may curve more than usual when you look at them from the side.
This is not common, but this is strongly associated with lung cancer: about 80% of people with lung cancer have the disease as well.
Abdominal troubles and disorders
One or two in 10 people with cancer develop high levels of calcium, a condition called hypercalcemia.
Too much calcium in your blood can give you abdominal pain and make you restless or constipated.
You may not feel thirsty. Another hormone-like substance made by some tumors will mess with your kidneys, causing cramps and nausea.
Mental health
In a Danish study, the odds of being diagnosed with small cell lung cancer were higher in people who saw a mental health professional for the first time in the past year for conditions such as anxiety, depression and dementia.
The reason may be how the cancer affects the immune system or hormones, or it can spread to the brain.
High calcium levels linked to cancer can cause confusion, disoriented thinking, and depression.
Fatigue and stress are symptoms of lung cancer
Low red blood cell count, or anemia, is a very common effect of lung cancer.
Anemia can make you very tired because your body tissues are not getting enough oxygen.
All in all, cancer cells like to be fed the nutrients they need to generate energy during a day. So when you get sick, you may feel tired.
Deplete your activity and resistance
Small cell lung cancers may tell your immune system to attack your nervous system, which in turn may affect how your muscles work.
It may be difficult to stand up after sitting, or you may feel unsteady.
You may feel dizzy because of the anemia or because blood flows into the superior vena cava, the large vein that carries blood from your head to your heart, if it is crowded with a tumor in the upper right lung.
weight change
Some people with small cell lung cancer develop Cushing syndrome. Cancer may tell your body to make a hormone called ACTH, which raises the level of cortisol.
This leads to fluid retention and weight gain.
(You may bruise easily and feel sleepy, too.) On the other hand, hypercalcemia and SIADH, a hormonal problem that affects your kidneys, tend to make you lose your appetite, so you may start losing weight without even trying.
eye problems
Pancoast tumors can also affect the nerves to your eyes and part of your face. This is called Horner's syndrome.
Symptoms include a small pupil in one of your eyes with a drooping eyelid. You also won't be able to sweat on this side of your face either.
Small cell lung cancer that turns your immune system against your nervous system can appear like a vision problem.
Swollen breasts in men
Lung cancer is rare as the cause of gynecomastia, but it is possible. Large cell lung cancer can disrupt your hormone balance and cause swelling in male breast tissue.
headache
The tumor can compress the superior vena cava, narrowing it so that it is difficult for blood to reach it.
The reserve blood can put pressure on your head.
High calcium levels often give you a big headache, too.
Headaches or new changes in your headache pattern are a strong reason to go to see your doctor.
heart problems
Both hypercalcemia and anemia can cause symptoms such as a fast or irregular heartbeat. If the heart problems are caused by hypercalcemia, the chances of developing it are severe, and you may have a heart attack or go into a coma. Severe anemia can cause chest pain and shortness of breath.
Swelling of the face, neck, or arms
When the superior vena cava is suffocated by a tumor, blood from the upper parts of your body has nowhere else to go.
Your neck, arms, and face may swell from the extra fluid that's waiting. You may also notice a bluish-red skin tone on your chest.
Weakness and pain
When lung cancer spreads (metastasizes), cells often travel to your bones through your bloodstream and form new tumors or lesions. These lesions usually damage your bones, making them more fragile and painful.
The mineral imbalance caused by hypercalcemia can weaken and harm you.
If the cancer affects the nervous system, it may weaken muscles so that you have difficulty speaking or swallowing, which is a symptom of lung cancer.
Blood clots: DVT and PE
A person with lung cancer is more likely to develop blood clots in their legs or arms (called deep venous thrombosis) and lungs (pulmonary embolism).
We don't know exactly why.
Cancer can cause inflammation that leads to the clotting process, or chemicals from the tumor itself may cause clots.
Your doctor may do tests if you have a blood clot and other symptoms of cancer, such as unexplained weight loss.