Contents:
- Medical Video: Emphysema vs Bronchitis
- Is it true that persistent coughing is a symptom of lung cancer?
- How to ensure that the cough that is experienced includes symptoms of lung cancer?
- Also know what are the risks of lung cancer
- 1. Smoking
- 2. Family history of lung cancer
- 3. Having a risky job
Medical Video: Emphysema vs Bronchitis
Actually, coughing is the body's response to protect itself and cleanse the lungs of disease-causing germs. Cough is most common when you have colds and colds. However, be careful if you experience persistent coughing, because it could be a symptom of lung cancer.
Is it true that persistent coughing is a symptom of lung cancer?
Basically not all coughs indicate lung cancer. However, many people with lung cancer experience persistent coughing that does not go away for a long time. Usually this condition occurs for eight consecutive weeks.
So, if you experience this you should immediately consult a doctor, because coughing can be experienced is one sign of lung cancer.
Coughing as a symptom of lung cancer can be a dry cough or cough with phlegm. This condition can occur throughout the day even at night when you sleep. If you get this disease you usually experience various other symptoms such as:
- Coughing up blood
- Hard to breathe
- Chest pain
- Hoarseness
- Difficult to swallow
- The appetite decreases
- Body weight dropped dramatically for no apparent reason
- Fatigue is quite great
- Airway infection
Even so, persistent coughing does not only occur when a person has lung cancer. It can only indicate the symptoms of other diseases. So, to find out what happened to you, you should immediately consult a doctor.
How to ensure that the cough that is experienced includes symptoms of lung cancer?
Usually, in addition to seeing the various symptoms the doctor will diagnose lung cancer through chest X-rays through X-rays. However, sometimes this medical procedure cannot detect early stage lung cancer, so further investigation is needed to find out.
To be more accurate, the doctor will perform a CT scan of the chest. CT scans can not only detect early lung cancer but also detect other lung diseases that are not detected by X-rays.
In addition, your doctor can also advise you to examine sputum samples, if you cough up phlegm. This check to determine whether you have a lung infection or lung cancer.
If you don't find bacteria or germs in your sputum, your doctor may recommend further tests such as bronchoscopy. Bronchoscopy is an examination that inserts a device into the lungs and the doctor can see the lung condition significantly from the device.
Also know what are the risks of lung cancer
If you experience a persistent cough, see if you have or experience some risk factors for lung cancer or not:
1. Smoking
Quoted from Verywell Health, almost 80 percent of people affected by lung cancer have a history of smoking. Even though it has stopped now but if you are a former smoker you are still at risk of developing lung cancer. Even passive smokers who only breathe fumes from people around him for a long time can get lung cancer.
2. Family history of lung cancer
If you have a family with lung cancer, you have the risk of getting the same disease. Therefore, do it routinely medical check-up once a year can be the best prevention method.
3. Having a risky job
Jobs that come in contact with chemicals such as asbestos, diesel, arsenic, and others can increase your risk of lung cancer. In fact this is proven to contribute as much as 27 percent of the causes of lung cancer cases in men.
Therefore, do not underestimate the symptoms of cough that you experience. Especially if you experience coughing constantly and never goes away. Check with your doctor to detect the cause of your cough to get the right treatment.
