Among various types of cancers that are fatal, lung cancer is rated as number one deadly disease in many countries of the world. It is the most important factor that causes death of millions of men and women in the USA but at the same time it can be totally prevented. If you quit smoking (after smoking for many years) the chances of getting lung cancer gets reduced drastically. Cigarette smoking is the major cause of lung cancer and 4 out of 5 persons detected with this lethal disease are found to be smokers. Lungs are spongy delicate organs present in our chest that take up oxygen during inhalation and give out carbon dioxide during exhaling process.
Lung Cancer Signs and Symptoms :
Lung cancer is a dreadful disease that does not show any symptoms in early stage. People start getting first sign of lung cancer only after the disease has considerably progressed. Some of the symptoms of lung cancer are persistent cough (that does not settle with any medication), coughing up blood, shortness of breath, recurring infections in the throat, swelling of face or neck, hoarseness or changes in voice, wheezing, chest pain, sudden weight loss and loss of appetite. It is not necessary that all the above signs will be present in the same individual. The intensity of symptoms varies significantly from one person to another. Many people will have difficulty in swallowing food.
When to see a Doctor :
You need not have to wait for the first sign of lung cancer to appear to visit your doctor. If you are smoking for long and cannot resist the temptation of smoking then it is high time to consult your doctor.
Lung Cancer Causes :
More than 85% of the cases detected with lung cancer are smokers. Hence smoking is the primary cause of this fatal disease. For some people cancer (of any form) runs in family and hence it can be hereditary. A person who smokes one full pack of cigarette daily can develop lung cancer 20 times more than non-smokers. The cells of your lungs get damaged instantly when you smoke. Delicate lining of the lung tissue begins to get damaged due to the inhalation of carcinogen present in a cigarette. The body will be able to fix this problem in the initial stages. But with repeated exposure to smoke, the damage to the lung tissue becomes irreparable.