Most people will know when they have a bug or the flu coming on. Days of fatigue, aching muscles, and a runny nose often point to a virus or infection, which may go away on its own or may need a course of antibiotics.
However, there may come a time when you feel constantly unwell and have a pale, flushed appearance, as well as some other symptoms that don’t seem to be improving. These can be an indicator of something more serious, like “the big C,” and here, you’ll be guided through what to check if you have concerns about the symptoms of cancer.
Table of Contents
Skin
Some cancers will show themselves on the skin, usually in the form of a rash that can look like something else. Indeed, one of the signs and symptoms of leukemia is a rash. This is caused by low blood platelets from this cancer, which cause damage to the blood vessels under the skin, creating red spots or lesions.
Some people can also see the spots looking purple; these rashes won’t fade if they are cancer rashes. So, it can test whether it fades by applying pressure on the skin with the help of glass. So make sure to check the unusual rashes that appear on the skin. If you find it suspicious, then please consult the doctor.
Lymph Nodes
You should also aim to check your lymph nodes regularly, both under your chin and under your arms. If you’re not sure where these are, think of when your mom or dad would reach under your chin when you said you weren’t feeling well as a kid!
The most common cancer that impacts the lymph nodes under your chin is lymphoma, and while this can impact the nodes under your arms, breast cancer can also appear here. So, check and report anything odd to your doctor.
Weight
- You should regularly check your weight as it is part of your physical and mental health.
- As your weight is related to your mental well-being and physical activities. So if you had the same weight for a year and there was no change, but if you started losing lots of weight suddenly without any diet or the thought of losing weight, you need to consult a doctor.
- Most of cancer’s main symptom is losing weight as the cancer cells take lots of energy from your body, then regular cells lead to weight loss. You check your weight regularly, and if you find it suspicious or feel unexpected weight loss, see a doctor.
Temperature
When the person feels unwell, they track their temperature and check if it is expected, so if you feel unwell for some time or the fever is more than average, i.e., high, then you should contact the doctor. as this can be a sign for something dangerous like having infection o any virus, as sometimes it can be a symptom for the blood cancer or blood infection.
Bruising/Bleeding
If you are bruising more often than you used to, or if you are bleeding from an injury and it is more time to stop bleeding from injury than usual, this can be a sign of something wrong with your body. So here we are, not suggesting you bruise yourself purposely to check it. In cancer, most of the culprits are lymphoma, myeloma, leukemia, and metastatic liver cancers. So, if wound won’t stop the bleeding and you have more bruises, you should check with your doctor.
