Most women know their bodies better than anyone else—but sometimes, our instincts can be dismissed or overshadowed by everyday stress. When it comes to serious illnesses like lung cancer, the first symptoms aren’t always dramatic. In fact, they’re often subtle and easy to ignore—especially in women.
Persistent Cough That Won’t Go Away
If your cough lingers for weeks or gradually gets worse, it might be more than a cold. Chronic coughing is one of the earliest red flags of lung cancer and should always be evaluated by a doctor.
Shortness of Breath With Minimal Effort
Feeling winded after light activity—or even while resting—could mean your lungs are not working properly. In some cases, restricted airways from a tumor can cause breathlessness even without exertion.
Unexplained Back or Shoulder Pain
Pain in the upper back or around the shoulder blades may not be muscle-related. For women, certain types of lung cancer can develop in areas that press against bones or nerves, causing pain in unexpected places.
Also read: Struggling with Belly Fat? This Morning Habit Could be Your Secret Weapon
Chest Discomfort or Tightness
Not all chest pain comes from the heart. Lung tumors can create a sense of pressure, soreness, or even mild burning in the chest, which should never be ignored—especially if it persists or worsens over time.
Difficulty Swallowing
Trouble swallowing—particularly when paired with unintentional weight loss—can indicate something serious going on in your chest or throat. If it’s ongoing, it may signal advanced disease.
Extreme Fatigue
If you constantly feel drained, no matter how much you rest, your body could be redirecting energy to fight an internal threat. In later stages, lung cancer often triggers overwhelming fatigue, even without physical symptoms.
Sudden Weight Loss Without Trying
Rapid, unexplained weight loss can be a silent symptom of cancer. When the body uses more energy than usual due to illness, pounds may start dropping quickly—and without changes to diet or exercise.
Also read: This Is How Much Fluid You Need to Drink in the Summer Heat
Hoarseness or Voice Changes
A raspy or weak voice that lasts longer than two weeks could mean something is pressing on the vocal cords. This is particularly common when cancer affects the nerves in the chest.
Frequent Lung Infections
Getting pneumonia or bronchitis repeatedly might be more than bad luck. Recurrent lung infections could signal a blockage or tumor in the respiratory system, making the lungs vulnerable to bacteria.
Blood in Cough or Mucus
Even a small streak of blood in your cough can be alarming—and rightly so. While it can have other causes, coughing up blood is one of the more urgent symptoms of lung cancer and requires immediate medical attention.
The article is based on information from Newsner
Also read: Coffee Warning: Popular Type Linked to Serious Eye Disease