Hunter Brady visited the doctor in the fall of 2016 after experiencing exhaustion and shortness of breath for several weeks, and the physician gave him the flu. The Florida youngster, 16, was diagnosed with stage 4 Hodgkin lymphoma after his prescribed medication failed to alleviate his symptoms. Flu symptoms include fatigue, chills, fever, weight loss, enlarged lymph nodes, and persistent cough. However, they are also frequent signs of some cancers, particularly hematopoietic tumors like lymphoma and leukemia.
In This Article...
Can a cold indicate cancer?
loss of appetite You might feel less hungry if you have the illness or sadness. Your metabolism, or the process through which your body converts food into energy, can be altered by cancer.
Cancers of the ovary, colon, pancreas, and stomach can also irritate your stomach and make you feel full.
stool with blood. In addition to other conditions including ulcers, hemorrhoids, infections, or sores, cancers can bleed. Blood from your GI tract, which includes your esophagus, stomach, and intestines, is frequently the source of redness in your feces.
How bright or dark the blood appears can help identify its source. Bright crimson could indicate that your intestines or rectum are where the bleeding is occurring. The stool appears darker because it has been exposed to stomach acid, indicating that it may be from higher up, such as a stomach ulcer.
Blood in your stool needs to be investigated, regardless of the reason. To identify the issue, you could require a colonoscopy or other testing.
urine with blood in it. Blood in your urinal fluid may be an indication that something is wrong with your urinary tract. This symptom can be brought on by kidney or bladder cancer, but it can also be brought on by an infection, kidney stones, or renal illness.
Cough that won’t stop. Hacking can be a symptom of a cold or the flu, but it can also be a sign of lung cancer, along with other warning signs including chest pain, weight loss, hoarseness, exhaustion, and shortness of breath. If you’re a smoker and you’re having trouble getting rid of it, contact a doctor.
extreme exhaustion One of the most typical cancer symptoms is this. It’s exhaustion that won’t go away when we talk about this; it’s not your typical type of fatigue. Consult your doctor if increasing your activity level or getting more sleep don’t help you feel better.
Which cancer exhibits symptoms similar to the flu?
The following signs and symptoms are frequently linked to particular cancer types:
Breast cancer: Physical changes in one or both breasts, such as swelling, redness, flaky skin, nipple discharge, a lump or growth, soreness, swelling, or tenderness under the arm, may be signs of breast cancer.
Colorectal cancer symptoms include constipation, diarrhea, bloody stools or rectal bleeding, cramping or abdominal pain, a sense of being bloated or full, and thin, ribbon-like stools. Gas pain, changes in bowel/bladder habits, anemia, and/or jaundice are other typical symptoms of gastrointestinal cancer.
Incontinence, blood in the urine or semen, trouble getting an erection, burning or pain during urination, difficulty urinating, and painful ejaculation are all common signs of prostate cancer.
Gynecologic: Common gynecologic cancer symptoms include abnormal vaginal bleeding (after sexual activity, between periods, or after menopause), discomfort during the act of sexual activity, pelvic/back pain, pain when urinating, and/or watery, white, or pinkish vaginal discharge.
Head and neck cancer symptoms include persistent discomfort, trouble swallowing, voice changes, oral sores, dry mouth, changes in appearance, and/or changes in taste.
Hematologic: Flu-like symptoms, fever, chills, joint/bone pain, anemia, night sweats, swelling of the lymph nodes, itching, chronic cough, shortness of breath, abdominal discomfort, headaches, easy bruising or bleeding, and/or recurrent infections are typical hematologic cancer symptoms.
Skin cancer symptoms include irritation, soreness, and/or bleeding around the affected area. Common skin cancer symptoms may include changes in a mole’s size, shape, or color, including asymmetry, border or color inconsistencies, or diameter (greater than 1/4 inch).
A chronic cough, pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, hoarseness, wheezing, coughing up blood, blood in the phlegm or mucus, neck or face swelling, and/or headaches are all common symptoms of lung cancer.
What are cancer’s early warning signs?
The following are cautionary indications of potential cancer:
- Unaccounted-for weight loss
- Loss of appetite.
- new, enduring discomfort
- continuous nausea or vomiting
- stool with blood (either visible or detectable by special tests)
I constantly getting colds; why is that?
Adults typically catch two to three colds every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Your chances of contracting colds frequently may increase if you are stressed or sleep poorly. Maintaining good hygiene, eating well, getting enough sleep, and lowering your stress levels all help prevent colds.
What are the 12 cancer warning signs?
It’s wise to be aware of the potential cancer indications regardless of your age or state of health. They are insufficient to diagnose the illness on their own. However, they may serve as hints for you and your physician to quickly identify and address the issue. Early on, when a tumor is small and hasn’t spread, is when treatment is most effective.
These signs do not necessarily indicate malignancy. You may experience this due to a variety of common conditions. It’s crucial to visit your doctor so they can examine your health more closely and take appropriate action.
Men and women alike frequently exhibit the following symptoms of cancer:
- Pain. Bone cancer frequently pains right away. Some brain tumors might produce severe headaches that don’t go away even after therapy. Consult a doctor if you are experiencing pain that you don’t understand or if it persists because pain might be a late indicator of cancer.
- without exertion, weight loss Nearly 50% of cancer patients experience weight loss. They frequently pick it out of the signs first.
- Fatigue. Inform your doctor if you feel exhausted all the time and rest doesn’t help. You may experience blood loss due to colon or stomach cancer, leukemia, or both. You may feel worn out if you lose weight because of cancer.
- Fever. Call your doctor if it’s strong or lasts more than 3 days. For days or even weeks, some blood malignancies, such as lymphoma, generate a fever.
- alterations to your skin. To ensure skin cancer isn’t hiding, have your doctor examine any new or strange moles, bumps, or marks on your body. Additionally, your skin can reveal signs of other malignancies. It could be an indication of liver, ovarian, renal, or lymphoma if it darkens, appears yellow or red, itches, grows more hair, or if you have an unexplained rash.
- Unhealing wounds. Another indicator of skin cancer is a spot that bleeds persistently. Sores in the mouth might be the first sign of oral cancer. You run an increased risk if you smoke, chew tobacco, or consume large amounts of alcohol.
- persistent coughing or hoarseness. A cough is one indication of lung cancer, while hoarseness could be a sign of thyroid or laryngeal cancer.
- abnormal bleeding Blood may appear where it shouldn’t due to cancer. A sign of colon or rectal cancer is blood in your stool. Additionally, malignancies in the urinary tract might result in blood in the urine.
- Anemia. Red blood cells, which are created in the bone marrow, are insufficient in your body at this point. Your marrow can be harmed by cancers such as leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma. Regular red blood cells may be displaced by tumors that travel there from other locations.
How can I tell whether my body contains cancer?
Among other cancers, significant changes in physiological functioning might be a sign of bladder, prostate, or colon cancer. Constipation or diarrhea that doesn’t go away, blood in the urine, black, tarry stools, blood in the stool, or red or black blood in the stool are all warning symptoms.
Is lung cancer similar to a cold?
Lung cancer’s early warning signs and symptoms include:
- a persistent or altering cough
- wheeze or altered breathing
- harsh, raspy voice
- unaccounted-for weight loss
A cough that won’t quit or changes
Watch out for a persistent new cough. A cough brought on by a cold or respiratory infection usually goes away within a week or so, but a lingering, chronic cough may be a sign of lung cancer.
Pay attention to any changes in a persistent cough as well, especially if you smoke.
If you have a cough, schedule a visit with a doctor soon away.
- increases in frequency
- has become deeper
- a lot of mucus is produced
Breathing changes or wheezing
Other potential lung cancer symptoms include having trouble breathing or getting quickly tired. If fluid from a lung tumor accumulates in the chest or if lung cancer narrows or closes an airway, breathing patterns may change.
Keep track of the times you feel out of breath or fatigued. Don’t disregard it if you have trouble breathing after climbing stairs or doing something you used to find simple.
Your lungs may make a wheezing or whistling sound when you breathe when your airways are restricted, clogged, or inflamed. There are numerous potential causes for this, some of which are benign and quickly curable.
Wheezing is a good idea to mention to your doctor because it can also be a sign of lung cancer. It’s better to avoid assuming that asthma or allergies are the cause of wheezing. Confirm the cause with your doctor.
Body pain
Chest, shoulder, or back pain are possible side effects of lung cancer. This can occur when you cough or all day long.
If you experience any kind of chest pain, regardless of whether it’s:
Also take note of if it only affects one part of your chest or whether it affects your entire chest.
Chest pain from lung cancer may be brought on by swollen lymph nodes or metastases to the chest wall, pleura (the membrane lining the lungs), or the ribs.
Your back or other parts of your body could hurt if your lung cancer has spread to your bones. Bone pain frequently gets worse at night and gets worse as you move.
Sometimes, headaches are a symptom that lung cancer has spread (metastasized) to the brain. Not all headaches, meanwhile, are related to brain metastases.
Raspy, hoarse voice
It’s a good idea to contact your doctor if you notice a noticeable change in your voice or if someone else remarks that it sounds raspier, hoarser, or deeper.
Hoarseness can be brought on by a common cold, but if it persists, it could be a sign of something more serious.
When a tumor interferes with the nerve that regulates the larynx, or voice box, hoarseness linked to lung cancer may result.
Unexplained weight loss
Numerous cancers, including lung cancer, can be the cause of an unexplained weight loss of at least 10 pounds.
This weight loss may be the result of cancer cells consuming energy when malignancy is present. It might also happen if your body starts using food as fuel differently.
If you haven’t been trying to lose weight, it’s crucial to pay attention to any changes in your weight. It could provide a hint of a change in your health.
You have a viral or bacterial infection.
Chills are more frequently linked to a systemic infection like the flu or pneumonia when they come together with other symptoms like fever, body aches, or exhaustion.
According to Taroyan, as your immune system tries to fight off an illness, the chills raise your body’s core temperature.
Despite the fact that you can feel cold, your body temperature rises. Chills are frequently accompanied by other symptoms of a viral infection, such as a sore throat, cough, headache, exhaustion, and muscular pains. It can often be self-limiting and will go away in two weeks. It’s crucial to obtain lots of sleep and up your fluid intake.
You have low blood sugar.
True hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar, most frequently affects those with diabetes, even though many people experience a slight shakiness and irritability when they are hungry.
“A sensation of shakiness, which may resemble the chills, is one of the signs of hypoglycemia,” adds Taroyan.
To restore normal blood sugar levels after hypoglycemia, prompt treatment is necessary.
Hypoglycemia is defined as a blood glucose level of less than 70 milligrams per deciliter. In addition to these symptoms, hypoglycemia can also result in sweating, confusion, a rapid heartbeat, blurred vision, lightheadedness, and sleepiness.
The “15-15 rule” should be followed if you have diabetes and experience these symptoms. Check your blood sugar again in 15 minutes after consuming 15 grams of simple carbohydrates, such as a glucose pill, juice, honey, or hard candy. Eat a meal after that, but try not to overindulge or your blood sugar will soar.
You’re having a panic attack.
According to Taroyan, chills can happen if you have a strong or deep emotional response to a circumstance. “She explains that feelings like dread or anxiety can make people feel cold.
Nearly 30% of all individuals will suffer from an anxiety condition at some point in their lives, according to the American Psychiatric Association. Chills, shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sweating, dizziness, and chest discomfort are just a few examples of the physical and psychological symptoms that can result from a panic attack. A panic attack can occasionally lead people to believe they are suffering a heart attack due to the severity of the symptoms.
Seek medical help if this is your first panic attack. Psychotherapy is recommended if you have been diagnosed with an anxiety illness “Medication and talk therapy both provide benefits.
You have malaria.
Malaria symptoms, which are brought on by infected mosquitos, can resemble cold or flu symptoms. They can also include fever, sweats, head and body aches, nausea, and exhaustion in addition to chills. Since malaria is not very common in the United States, your doctor may choose not to do a simple blood test to check for the parasite very away. Be sure to let your doctor know if you’ve recently been to a place where malaria is prevalent, such as sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, some sections of India, or parts of Central and South America, even if you took antimalarial drugs.
You have leukemia.
Leukemia and other blood malignancies can also be indicated by chills. Lymph node swelling, along with fever, chills, exhaustion, loss of appetite, night sweats, stomach discomfort, and recurrent infections, are all possible leukemia symptoms. Consult your doctor if you have a fever and chills that just won’t go away in case you have a more serious condition.
The body may be trying to warm you up when you have the chills, but if they are also accompanied by other symptoms, you should consult a doctor.
Taroyan suggests making an appointment with your primary care physician for additional assessment.
What are the seven primary cancer warning signs?
Seven warning symptoms of cancer you shouldn’t ignore
- C: Modifications to bowel or voiding habits.
- A: A wound that doesn’t get better.
- U: Unusual discharge or bleeding.
- T: A breast lump or a thickening elsewhere.
- I: Distress swallowing or indigestion.
- O: Visible alterations in warts or moles.
- Hoarseness or a persistent cough, N.