Pain is the alarm system that tells us something is wrong in the body.
Find out from Dr. Mehmet Oz what pains we often ignore, but should send us for a check-up!
When your body lets you know through pain
persisting in a certain area that something is wrong with it, the safest solution to consider is a specialist consultation. It is not advisable to ignore a pain that you feel every day, and you should never get used to its presence.
Pain associated with the development of cancerous tumours can occur in the affected area or radiate to other parts of the body, explains Mehmet Oz.
It can also occur as the tumour develops or after you’ve finished treatment, and the intensity of the pain is also determined by the location of the tumour.
Dr Oz gives an example: a tumour located in the brain will send signals faster than one growing in the abdomen because the latter has more room to grow in size.
What we need to bear in mind is precisely that there are some tumours that don’t hurt until they are at an advanced stage, which is why you shouldn’t forget about routine annual tests that can show if there’s a problem.
Here’s what pain can hide a very serious problem that you shouldn’t let progress:
- Severe back pain
Most commonly, multiple myeloma, an incurable, rare and very aggressive form of blood cancer that affects the bone marrow, manifests itself in severe back pain, plus other symptoms such as repeated fractures and infections, anaemia, kidney failure, vertebral subsidence.
In many patients, symptoms remain latent for a long time and only become apparent when the disease is already in an advanced stage.
- Constant pain in the abdomen
It may be caused by colon cancer and colonoscopy is necessary to detect adenomatous polyps, which appear in the early stages. To prevent this it is necessary to have an annual abdominal ultrasound, and if polyps are present, treatment and removal is required.
What you need to remember is that this form of cancer affecting the colon and rectum is curable if detected early.
This is only possible if a simple medical check-up is carried out at least once a year! An abdominal ultrasound can detect the disease at an early stage.
Symptoms that may herald colon cancer include: blood in the faeces, chronic constipation, change in consistency of faeces, weight loss and black stools.
- Constant pain in the pelvic area
This is the area that includes the uterus, ovaries and bladder.
Although in some cases the symptoms of bloating, abdominal cramps and pain are present with menstruation, they may also herald a more serious problem – ovarian cancer.
One problem with this type of cancer is that the pain occurs especially when the tumour reaches advanced stages. That’s why it’s recommended to go for a gynaecological check-up every year.
Other symptoms that may herald ovarian cancer: abdominal bloating, frequent urination, post-menopausal bleeding, loss of appetite and weight loss, anal bleeding, constant bloating.
- Constant headache
Not every headache you experience can hide brain cancer, but certain types that persist.
As the tumour grows, the pain will be felt more intensely and frequently. Other symptoms that may herald brain cancer: chronic headache in the morning when you wake up, a headache that wakes you from sleep accompanied by vomiting and dizziness, as well as changes in tactile and visual sensations and disturbances in balance.
- Constant bone pain
Bone cancer can metastasise to other organs, warns Dr Oz. In addition to pain it can cause: back pain, fractures, anaemia, frequent infections, constant fatigue.
- Constant chest pain
Can herald the development of a lung tumour, warns Dr Mehmet Oz. Tumours located in the lungs make breathing difficult and painful.
In addition to this pain, other symptoms that may herald lung cancer include chronic coughing and bleeding, shortness of breath, hoarseness and weight loss.
