Early symptoms of lung cancer in women. These signals are easy to overlook

The symptoms of lung cancer can vary as they always depend on several factors. Among them, in addition to the location and type of cancer, there is also gender. It turns out that a developing neoplastic disease may show different signs in men than in women. Below we present those that should pay special attention to patients.

1. The most characteristic symptoms of lung cancer are typical of both genders: persistent cough and blood in the expectorant
2. Women experience fatigue more often than men, and episodes of dyspnea that worsen over time
3. Some of the symptoms of lung cancer are confused by patients with menopausal symptoms or a discomfort resulting from the aging of the body
4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage

The most common symptoms of lung cancer

The most common symptoms of lung cancer in both sexes are:

1. cough,
2. blood in expectorated sputum,
3. shortness of breath
4. loss of appetite
5. weight loss.

These symptoms can occur simultaneously or separately, and they can be varying degrees of intensity. Much depends on the stage of the neoplastic disease, but also on the general health of the patient. If he or she has comorbidities in which similar symptoms appear (e.g. cough in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), the symptoms of cancer may not be recognized immediately.

Fatigue as the first sign of cancer

The researchers, analyzing cases of lung cancer in women, found that one of the first symptoms that signaled patients a health problem later diagnosed as lung cancer was fatigue.

This is one of those ailments that is very difficult to unambiguously associate with a specific cause. This is a particularly big challenge for women, who tend to be burdened more with household and family responsibilities than men. When there are also those related to professional work, fatigue becomes everyday life for many patients and does not attract their attention.

So how do you distinguish between fatigue, a signal of disturbing changes in the body, and the “normal” fatigue that most of us experience? The duration and the ineffectiveness of defeating it. If we are able to reduce or reduce fatigue by drinking a cup of coffee, resting or sleeping, we should not worry about it. If, however, despite proper regeneration and taking care of the correct amount of sleep, fatigue does not pass and even overwhelms, we should see a doctor.

If it is difficult to objectively assess the situation, it is a good idea to keep a diary of sleep, activity and well-being. By entering the time of sleep, the tasks performed and the ailments experienced there, after a few weeks we will see a rule in our notes and it will be easier for us to estimate how much of a problem in our case is fatigue.

The rest of the article is available under the video.

Dyspnea may suggest cancer

The second most common symptom of cancer in women is episodes of breathlessness. In the early stages of cancer, the condition is not obvious and is easily confused with something else. It appears almost exclusively during strenuous activities such as running or climbing stairs to higher floors. Most of us then get at least short of breath, and many have serious problems with regulating our breathing.

Our brain can also deceive us, as it can very quickly “adapt” our activity to the possibilities at our disposal. Even when we feel a slight breathlessness, we unconsciously slow down the pace, not causing the respiratory system to overcome itself. Thus, we downplay the ailment, recognizing that it is not disturbing enough to consult it with a specialist. This is a big mistake.

Pain in the back, shoulder and limbs

Pain most often occurs in the area of ​​the lower back or in the area of ​​the shoulders, although there are also pain in the extremities. It is quite an unusual symptom of lung cancer that women complain about, often without being aware that it may be a sign of cancerous changes. Most patients blame them on overstrain, undiagnosed joint diseases or even postural defects. It happens that back pain is associated with arthritis or discopathy.

Interestingly, many patients, after being diagnosed with lung cancer, realize that they have suffered from it for a long time, which suggests that back pain is one of the first symptoms of lung cancer.

This is also confirmed by statistics, according to which Many types of lung cancer that don’t show a quick visible sign spread to the bones fairly quickly. Metastases to them are very painful and unfortunately not good news because they mean that the disease is already in an advanced stage. Pain “in the bones” does not always mean that the cancer has spread to other organs or tissues. In the course of neoplastic disease, nerves are often irritated by the tumor, which also causes pain.

What should turn on the red light in our head are pains which:

1. they also appear or persist at night,
2. persist or worsen despite rest,
3. they occur even during rest,
4. they worsen with deep breathing.

Pain in the chest

Chest pain in the course of lung cancer is most often caused by the cancer cells attacking the membranes surrounding the organ. The pain is acute and may increase with coughing. It can also aggravate breathlessnesswhat happens when there is an exudate of fluid accumulating between membranes.

Chest pain can never be underestimated. They can also signal changes in the cardiovascular system, and heart disease is still the most common cause of death. Any discomfort in this zone should be consulted with a doctor.

Recurrent upper respiratory tract infections

In women, recurrent infections of the upper respiratory tract are a common symptom of lung cancer. Many patients report that they struggled several times prior to diagnosis bronchitis be pneumonia.

The presence of persistent cough is also associated with this problem, although it occurs more often in men than in women (it is related to the types of lung cancer that are more common in one sex). It does not have to be chronic, although many patients do “tire” for a long time. This cough is no different (or the differences are very difficult to capture) from that occurring in the course of a cold, flu, or just inflammation of the lower respiratory tract and lungs.

Strong menstrual pain is not always “so beautiful” or a woman’s hypersensitivity. Endometriosis may be behind such a symptom. What is this disease and how is living with it? Listen to the podcast about endometriosis by Patrycja Furs – Endo-girl.