Health is wealth. From any unusual pains or small changes in the bodies, men should not simply ignore these five cancer symptoms.
First, men are advised to see the doctor immediately if he is having a hard time urinating or there is blood in his urine or semen, or he experience unexplained erectile dysfunction. These are some of the symptoms of prostate cancer.
Unfortunately, there aren't noticeable symptoms of prostate cancer until the aggressive stages. This is why Dr. Moshe Shike, MD, a gastroenterologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (via Reader's Digest Magazine), urges men to immediately seek help as soon as they notice the above-mentioned symptoms.
Men should also pay attention to their testicles. The early symptoms of testicular cancer are changes in size (to one or both), there is a lump, if they feel swollen or extra heavy and if there is fluid in the scrotum that lasts for more than a week.
Noticeable changes in the skin should not be ignored too as the following signs and symptoms of skin cancer include any changes to the skin, especially the size or color of a mole or spot and a sore that does not heal. Men over the age of 50 are about twice as likely as women to develop and die from skin cancer, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation (via Advocate Health Care).
Thus, Dr. Rania Agha, a dermatologist at Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital in Downers Grove, Ill., suggests skin cancer education, proper sun protection and regular visits to the dermatologist as preventative measures to decrease one's risk. It is also important to check the entire body on an annual basis.
In addition to that, men should also look out for the signs of mouth cancer. This includes a sore throat, a sore that does not heal, loose teeth, tongue pain, jaw pain or stiffness and a growth, lump or thickening of the skin or lining of your mouth.
Lastly, men should see a doctor immediately if their cough lasts three weeks or more - without other symptoms, such as allergies or cold - as it could be an early symptom of lung cancer. Coughing up blood is also another thing.
"Cancer in the airway can irritate your throat and make you cough," Dr. Raja Flores, MD, professor, and chairman of thoracic surgery at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City said. "There's something in there that's not supposed to be there, so your body is trying to get rid of it."
