An unusual lump or swelling anywhere on your body
Many men know that any unusual lump in their testicle should be
checked out. And women are generally aware that they should see a
doctor about an unusal breast lump. But persistent lumps in other parts of the body should also be
taken seriously. This includes lumps and swellings in your neck,
armpit, abdomen, groin or breast area. If these symptoms last for three weeks or more, they could be signs
of cancer. A good time to notice unusual lumps and bumps is in the
bath or shower.
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A change in size, shape or colour of a mole
Most moles remain harmless throughout our lives. But new moles that
appear, ones that change over weeks or months, or ones that are
crusty or ooze, should be checked out by a doctor. It’s important to keep an eye on your skin and look out for changes
– ask your partner or a friend to check areas you can’t see, such
as your back. This is particularly important if you have fair,
freckly or moley skin that tends to burn easily.
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A sore that won’t heal after several weeks
Our skin repairs itself very quickly, and any damage usually heals
within a week or so. When a spot, wart or sore doesn’t heal and
lasts for several weeks, it could need treatment. Even if it is
painless, you should see your doctor.
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A mouth or tongue ulcer that lasts longer than three weeks
Many people get mouth ulcers when they are run down and this is
usually nothing to worry about. The lining of the mouth renews
itself every two weeks or so, which is why ulcers usually don’t
last longer than that. But any single ulcer that lasts for longer
than three weeks without healing could be a sign of mouth cancer
and should be reported to your doctor.
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A cough or croaky voice that lasts longer than three weeks
A cough and croaky voice are common symptoms of a cold. They often
go away after a week or so and usually aren’t signs of anything
serious. But if they last for longer than three weeks, if you cough
up blood, or if an existing cough gets worse, you should go to your
doctor. If you smoke you should pay extra attention to these
symptoms, as you are more likely to suffer from throat and lung
diseases.
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Persistent difficulty swallowing or indigestion
A number of medical conditions can make it difficult to swallow.
But if you are having difficulty swallowing and the problem doesn’t
go away after a couple of weeks, it should be checked out. It is normal to feel slight discomfort or pain sometimes after
eating a large, fatty or spicy meal. But if you are experiencing
indigestion a lot, or if it is particularly painful, then you
should see your doctor.
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Problems passing urine
As men get older they often have problems passing urine. They may
find they need to pass urine urgently or more often, are unable to
go when they need to, or experience pain when they do. These
symptoms are usually caused by a common medical condition that
causes the prostate gland to enlarge. Less commonly, these symptoms
can be caused by prostate cancer. If you’re having any of these
problems, you should see your doctor.
For women, infections are the most common cause of pain and
difficulty passing urine. But needing to pass urine urgently or
more often than usual could be a sign of cancer of the bladder,
ovary or lining of the womb and should be checked out.
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Blood in your urine
Blood in your urine should always be reported to a doctor. Usually
it isn’t caused by cancer and can be treated quickly and easily.
But it could be a sign of something more serious. Either way, the
best thing to do is to go to your doctor.
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Blood in your bowel motions
The most common cause of blood in the bowel motions is piles. This
condition is brought on by straining when going to the toilet. But
blood in your bowel movements can be a symptom of a more serious
condition such as bowel cancer, so it’s very important to get it
checked out.
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A change to more frequent bowel motions that lasts longer than six
weeks
Stomach bugs and food poisoning are the most usual causes of loose,
frequent bowel motions, or diarrhoea. This doesn’t usually last
long, clearing up within a few days. If you have noticed a change
in your bowel habits lasting longer than six weeks, it could be a
more serious bowel problem.
Most cases of bowel cancer are in older people, with more than nine
out of ten cases in people over 50. If you’re younger, bowel
changes are likely to be caused by other medical conditions. But if
you have noticed any lasting bowel changes, you should see your
doctor.
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Unexplained weight loss or heavy night sweats
Small weight changes over time are quite normal. But if you have
noticeably lost weight without dieting, this could be a sign of
cancer and should be checked out.
Experiencing night sweats and unexplained weight loss together can
suggest cancer
Heavy night sweats can be brought on by infections and certain
medications in both men and women. They are also often experienced
by women around the time of the menopause. But heavy night sweats
can also be caused by certain types of cancer.
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An unexplained pain or ache that lasts longer than four weeks
Pain is one of our bodies’ ways of telling us that something is
wrong. As we get older, many of us have aches and pains. It can be
very difficult to know whether something is serious or not. In
general, you should check out any continuous unexplained pain, or
any unexplained pain that comes and goes over a period longer than
four weeks.
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Persistent difficulty swallowing or indigestion
A number of medical conditions can make it difficult to swallow.
But if you are having difficulty swallowing and the problem doesn’t
go away after a couple of weeks, it should be checked out. It is normal to feel slight discomfort or pain sometimes after
eating a large, fatty or spicy meal. But if you are experiencing
indigestion a lot, or if it is particularly painful, then you
should see your doctor.
For sugestions, queries on health topics or cancer therapies
feel free to mail me at medlifeasia@gmail.com