Some men are known to avoid doctors at all costs and delay their visits for as long as possible, even if it costs them in the end. Knowing the 11 Early Signs of Cancer Men Should Never Ignore may very well save their lives one day.
1. Persistent Headaches
For most people, headaches are just an annoying nuisance that occurs from time to time. If they are randomly starting to occur more frequently and you do not regularly get headaches, it could be a sign of cancer. These headaches are linked to cancers that affect the brain, such as brain tumors, cancers of the upper throat, and lymphoma. Headaches can also be caused by other side effects of cancer like anemia, stress or dehydration. It is important to find out the cause of chronic headaches before it is too late to reverse them.
2. Rapid Weight Loss
Due to the increasing rate of global obesity, many men would be relieved to wake up and find out that they had lost weight overnight. However, if this happens to you and you are not actively trying to lose weight, it could be a sign of cancer. In fact, it is one of the first noticeable signs of the disease. 40% of cancer patients reported that they had experienced notable weight loss at the time of their diagnosis, while 80% of those with advanced cancer had experienced a loss of muscle as well.
3. Chronic Fatigue
Everyone gets tired from time to time as they go through their day to day activities. It is important to note that this fatigue should only last for a short time. If you are experiencing inexplicable fatigue for longer than a week or a month, it may be a sign of cancer. Cancer-related fatigue differs from normal fatigue in a few ways. Cancer-related fatigue can last for months or years and can even continue after treatment ends. In order to shorten the time of cancer-related fatigue occurring, report all signs of prolonged fatigue to your doctor.
4. Easy Bruising
Bruises usually occur after an excessive and sudden force being applied to the body. People can normally trace them back to exactly where they got the bruise from. If you are starting to experience bruising easier and more frequently than normal, you may have cancer. One form of cancer, leukemia, is notorious for causing these bruises. Leukemia destroys the body’s ability to supply oxygen to its cells and form clots. After noticing bruises in places they shouldn’t be, it is advised to schedule a checkup with your doctor.
5. Constant Illness
If you are usually healthy and are starting to frequently feel ill, you may be experiencing a symptom of cancer. Forms of cancer like leukemia can cause your body to change how it produces white blood cells. The production of these abnormal white blood cells will weaken the immune system, and leave the body prone to infections that normally wouldn’t have been allowed into the body. Often times for cancer patients, the fever is the first sign of infection so it is important to monitor your body temperature if you are constantly feeling ill. If you are usually healthy and are starting to frequently feel ill, you may be experiencing a symptom of cancer. Forms of cancer like leukemia can cause your body to change how it produces white blood cells. The production of these abnormal white blood cells will weaken the immune system, and leave the body prone to infections that normally wouldn’t have been allowed into the body. Often times for cancer patients, the fever is the first sign of infection so it is important to monitor your body temperature if you are constantly feeling ill
6. Bleeding Bowel Movements
A lot of men are not keen on paying close attention to their stool before they flush but it is important to do so. Evidence of blood in the stool may be a sign of cancer, if not something else entirely (possibly hemorrhoids or constipation). One form of cancer that is notorious for causing blood to appear in your stool is colon cancer. Even though colon cancer is traditionally something that older people have had to worry about, being younger does not mean that you are immune. In fact, it is getting more prevalent in younger patients.
7. Frequent Coughing
An unusual cough that seems to linger longer than usual may be an early sign of cancer. Lung cancer, for example, can damage the lungs badly enough to make uninterrupted breathing quite difficult. A form of cancer like Leukemia can create symptoms similar to bronchitis. Coughs related to cancer may cause the patient to cough up more than just phlegm. Coughing up blood is a commonly reported symptom of cancer. If you have a persistent cough for longer than a couple of weeks, it is recommended that patients seek professional help.
8. Long-Lasting Sores
For many people, a cold sore may last for a short amount of time, heal, and be forgotten about. For cancer patients, it is likely that the cold sore may hang around for a lot longer than expected. Men who have mouth cancer may experience cold sores that do not heal, white or red patches on the gums, swelling, and numbness of the jaw. Symptoms like the ones listed previously combined with a history of tobacco use (chewing or smoking) could mean the development of cancer.
9. Changes in the Skin
As you age, it is normal for you to experience changes in your outward appearance. However, the speed and scope of how the skin changes area reflection of your overall health. It is important to be aware that men have double the chance of developing and dying from skin cancer than women do. Men can reduce this risk by wearing sunscreen when out in direct sunlight for long periods of time, regularly analyzing the condition of their skin, and covering portions of their skin if the activity doesn’t require it.
10. Changes in the Testicles
Much like how women are often advised to check their breasts for irregularities, men are advised to regularly check their testicles. Checking for irregularities in the testicles means that men should check for differences in size, weight, and for new lumps. Pain is not always an indicator so it is very important to be able to self-diagnose. Changes to the testicles could mean that testicular cancer has started to develop. Unlike many of the other common cancers, testicular cancer is most common in men who are young or entering their middle ages.
11. Problems Urinating
Problems in the bathroom may come back to haunt you outside of it as well. Difficulty in urinating, or having blood in your urine or semen may be a sign of prostate cancer. Sudden erectile dysfunction may also be a sign of the disease. These may be some of the only early signs of prostate cancer that you will receive. Most signs of the disease are apparent after it is already too late and the disease is in its aggressive stages. It is important to look into the causes of any irregularities or constant pain that you are experiencing
Source: HealthGuide
