In the autumn of 2023, Xiao Li's occasional light cough was mistaken by his family and himself for the normal change of seasons. His laughter continued, only occasionally interrupted by a cough.
It wasn't until that early November morning, when his cough intensified, accompanied by a slight chest pain, that he began to realize that perhaps it was more than just a small discomfort of the changing seasons.
In the days that followed, symptoms followed: a persistent dry cough, night sweats, growing weight loss, and the occasional few strands of blood that were coughed up like a red alert that woke up the family's tranquility.
In a panic, they urgently sought medical attention, and after a series of tests, the bad news came - the lung cancer was advanced and had spread. From that moment on, time seemed to pass faster, and in just two weeks, Xiao Li's light of life dimmed.
01. Silent warning for lung cancer
Among the many health warning signs, there is one symptom that is often overlooked: cough. It may start with an inadvertent itchy throat or mild discomfort during the changing seasons, but when the cough persists, especially if it matches a specific lung cancer signature, it is no small few.
Persistent dry cough: Unlike a brief cough caused by a cold or allergy, cough caused by lung cancer tends to be more persistent and difficult to relieve with conventional medications. Patients often feel like they can't cough up, with or without a small amount of white frothy sputum, which is a sign that the lungs are struggling to remove a foreign body or fight against a stimulus.
Blood in the sputum: Even if the amount of blood is insignificant, it is a sign that deserves great attention. Lung cancer can damage the blood vessels in the lungs, causing coughing up blood, which is a clear warning that requires immediate medical attention.
Changes in the nature of cough: Long-term smokers or other high-risk people who have a sudden change in cough pattern, such as becoming more frequent, more intense, or worse at night, may be an early sign of lung cancer and need to be alarmed.
Protracted cough: If the cough persists for more than two weeks and there are no obvious signs of infection or it doesn't improve despite appropriate treatment, more in-depth testing should be considered to rule out a serious illness such as lung cancer.
02. If these 9 "abnormal signals" appear, seek medical attention immediately
Persistent cough: Unlike the common cold or allergies, cough caused by lung cancer tends to persist and worsen at night, and may be accompanied by a small amount of white frothy sputum or blood, which is the body's crying out.
Blood in sputum: Any unprovoked presence of bloody sputum is a wake-up call and may indicate a serious problem with the lungs or airways that requires immediate medical attention.
Hoarseness: If there is sudden or persistent hoarseness for no apparent reason, it may be a sign that the tumor is pressing on the recurrent laryngeal nerve and should not be taken lightly.
Chest tightness and chest pain: atypical heart pain, which may be caused by lung cancer compressing surrounding tissues or invading the pleura, chest pain changes need to be vigilant.
Dyspnea: unexplained shortness of breath, especially worse with exertion, suggests possible pulmonary dysfunction or pleural effusion and should be investigated as soon as possible.
Fever of unknown origin: persistent low-grade fever or periodic fever, especially if anti-infective therapy is ineffective, should be considered as an underlying cause such as a tumor.
Dramatic weight loss: Significant weight loss without deliberate weight loss, accompanied by loss of appetite, may be the body's response to an underlying medical condition.
Extrapulmonary manifestations: such as clubbing, joint pain, skin changes, etc., these seemingly unrelated symptoms may be manifestations of distant metastasis of lung cancer.
Accompanying symptoms: paraneoplastic syndromes such as myasthenia gravis and gynecomastia, although atypical, are equally important and require professional evaluation.
In the face of lung cancer, the invisible killer, we recognize that the slightest abnormality in the body can be a distress signal from life. It also makes us pay more attention to the importance of prevention and early screening.
For high-risk groups of lung cancer, such as long-term smokers and people with a family history, taking the initiative to have regular lung examinations can greatly improve the success rate of treatment.
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