Early Signs That Cancer Is Growing In Your Body

Routine check-ups and tests are not a reliable form of cancer detection. In order to detect the disease on time you should also notice any strange and unexplained symptom you might experience. Here are the 20 early cancer signs that should never be ignored:

1. Wheezing and shortness of breath

Both symptoms are the earliest signs of the development of lung cancer in your body.

2. Chest pain and chronic cough

Lung tumors and leukemia can mimic symptoms of a chronic cough, and some patients have also reported pain down the arm accompanying the cough and chest pain.

3. Recurrent fever and infections

Frequent fever and infections can be a sign of leukemia, a type of blood tumor that develops in the bone marrow. Once it starts, leukemia makes the marrow produce abnormal white blood cells which attack your immune system.

4. Difficulty swallowing

Although often ignored, difficulty swallowing may be a sign of esophageal, throat or lung cancer.

5. Swollen lymph nodes on the underarms, groin and neck

These symptoms often indicate negative changes in the lymph system which are probably caused by cancer.

6. Bruising and bleeding that don’t stop

This is a sign that there’s something wrong with your platelets and red blood cells and may be caused by leukemia. The abnormal amount of white blood cells caused by the disease can crowd out the red blood cells in your body and hinder the blood’s ability to clot, which will result in blood loss.

7. Fatigue

Fatigue is one of the most overlooked signs of cancer. However, being tired doesn’t automatically indicate cancer – it should be looked in combination with other symptoms. If you’re feeling tired for no reason at all, we suggest visiting your doctor.

8. Pelvic and abdominal pain

Cramps and pain in the abdomen and pelvis accompanied by bloating are often a sign of ovarian cancer.

9. Bloating and sudden abdominal weight gain

These symptoms usually indicate ovarian cancer, especially if they go on for a long time.

10. Rectal bleeding and blood in the stool

If you notice blood in your stool you should visit a doctor immediately as it may be an early sign of colorectal cancer.

11. Sudden weight loss

If you’ve started losing weight all of a sudden, you should be concerned as it may be a sign that the cancer has spread to your liver and is affecting your appetite.

12. Stomachache or upset stomach

If your stomach is upset frequently, it may be a symptom of colorectal cancer.

13. Swollen and inflamed nipples

If you notice any kind of change in your nipples such as inflammation or swelling you should visit a doctor as it may be a sign of breast cancer.

14. Nipple changes

Twisted, flattened or invertednipples are some of the earliest signs of breast cancer.

15. Heavy and frequent periods

These symptoms are usually related to endometrial and uterine cancer. If you’re suspecting that you might be suffering from this type of cancer, get a vaginal ultrasound to be sure.

16. Changes on the nails

Streaks and dots in and under the nails, clubbing and pale or white nails can indicate lung or liver cancer.

17. Swelling in the face

Swelling, redness and puffiness in the face may be caused by small tumors in your lungs which are blocking the blood flow leading to your face.

18. Sore lumps that don’t heal

Melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma are 3 types of skin cancer that may create sore lumps on your skin that bleed easily and don’t heal.

19. Feeling full and being unable to eat

This is another sign of ovarian cancer – some women don’t have appetite and won’t eat even after skipping a few meals.

20. Pain in the back and lower right side

Pain in the lower right side of the back may be a sign of liver cancer, but it can also indicate breast cancer as well due to breast tumors pressing backwards into the chest.

No matter the gender or age, you should notice any unusual symptoms and address them appropriately. The sooner you notice and treat the problems, the higher your chances of survival. Cancer is a disease which can harm your health beyond repair and even worse, it may have fatal consequences, so it’s nothing to be trifled with. Like with any other disease, it’s best to prevent rather than treat it later, so make sure to live a healthy and active lifestyle and eat a healthy diet rich in foods that prevent cancer.

15 Fruits And Vegetables That May Not Be Worth Buying Organic

No one wants to eat dangerous pesticides with their fruits and veggies. Unfortunately, a lot of the produce that is grown around the world is treated with such chemicals to ward off bugs and disease. And some of that is left behind in residue when we get our hands on it.

Some fruits and veggies contain more residue than others. Often times the thickness of the skin protecting said produce is what keeps out the residue. For example, pineapples have a tough skin that is removed before eating, so not a lot of pesticide residue is found in the fruit that we eat. On the other hand, strawberries contain high levels of residue because not only do we eat the entire berry, but it has a porous exterior, as well.

To avoid this pesticide residue altogether, you can opt for organic produce. (It should be noted that organic produce does also use pesticides, but they’ve been approved by the USDA as organic because they occur naturally.) The only downfall is that organic is significantly pricier. That’s why today we’re going to talk about the fruits and veggies that you don’t actually have to buy organic.

The Environmental Working Group tested over 50 kinds of produce for pesticide residue and labeled those with low levels as “clean.” Here are 15 of those, starting with the cleanest. 

1 Avocados

2 Sweet Corn

3 Pineapple

4 Cabbage

5 Frozen Sweet Peas

6 Onions

7 Asparagus

8 Mango

9 Papaya

10 Kiwi

11 Eggplant

12 Honeydew Melon

13 Grapefruit

14 Cantaloupe

15 Cauliflower

And then there are the 12 you’ll always want to buy organic:

1. Strawberries
2. Apples
3. Nectarines
4. Peaches
5. Celery
6. Grapes
7. Cherries
8. Spinach
9. Tomatoes
10. Sweet bell peppers
11. Cherry tomatoes
12. Cucumbers

Why Exercising Outdors Is Betters For You Than The Gym

Spring is full of endless sunny days and weather that’s just warm enough to work up a sweat outdoors without feeling like you’re going to suffer from a heat stroke.

Not only does it feel great to work out outside, but there are also tons of other health benefits.

Here’s why you should take your workout outside for the next few months:

1. We work harder.

When we work out indoors, we set our own pace, and we only work out for a limited amount of time.

However, according to one study, people who took their work out outdoors did at least 30 minutes more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week than those who only did it inside.

This allows you to burn more calories throughout the week, which leads to weight loss and muscle building.

The participants who exercised outdoors also reported feeling healthier overall.

By allowing our body to experience various terrains, hills and locations, this strengthens our muscles and joints, causing them to be less susceptible to injuries and keeping them in top-notch shape.

2. Being outside lowers depression.

According to a recent study, people who frequented the park had lower rates of depression and high blood pressure and were more social, compared to those who visited green spaces less frequently.

Being outdoors and interacting with nature can be calming for a lot of people, and exercising in a park could benefit you in more ways than one.

3. It could prevent cancer.

According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, when we breathe in fresh air, we breathe in phytoncides, airborne chemicals that plants give off to protect themselves from insects.

Phytoncides have antibacterial and antifungal qualities that help plants fight disease.

When people breathe in these chemicals, our bodies respond by increasing the number of white blood cells in our bodies.

These white blood cells kill tumor and virus infected cells.

So, just being outside and simply breathing for a few minutes each day can help protect ourselves against cancer.

4. Nature helps us focus.

Throughout the day, we often have a million things going on that need our attention. Focusing on any one task can be difficult.

However, spending time in nature allows our mind to wander, as we explore plants, water, birds, trees and wildlife.

Doing this allows us to give the cognitive portion of our brain a break, allowing us to focus better when we need to, and it also helps renew our patience.

5. It saves us money.

Spending time outside is free.

All we need is a good pair of shoes, and we’re ready to go.

Step outside your door and go for a run. Head to the nearest park and go for a walk.

Why use precious gas money and drive to an expensive gym just to work out on a treadmill or ride a stationary bike?

Save money by utilizing the great outdoors as your gym. That way, you won’t convince yourself working out can’t fit into your budget.

6. It’s more fun.

Once we take our workout outdoors, the possibilities are endless!

We can go running, road biking, golfing, hiking, mountain biking, swimming and more.

Soaking up beautiful views and refreshing air simply isn’t possible when you’re cooped up inside of a gym.

Not only that, but working out outside is both mentally and physically challenging. So, it utilizes both your mind and body, the ultimate type of workout.

So whether we’re biking, running or taking that workout video to the park, the benefits are astounding.

Utilize the best resource we all have access to: nature. Soak up some Vitamin D to feel happier, healthier and more focused.

What more could we ask for? I don’t know about you, but I’m going to be spending less time inside and more time outside this season.

7 Seemingly Innocent Symptoms That Could Be Major Health Issues

If you're like us, you tend to overreact when you notice anything new or strange going on with your body. A little ache in your arm? OMG cancer! A few extra hairs in your comb? Impending baldness!

While it's good to be on guard, not every new symptom should send you racing to your doctor's office, says Rob Danoff, DO, an osteopathic physician and director of family medicine at Philadelphia's Aria Health System.

At the same time, Danoff says some seemingly benign symptoms—stuff most of us would brush off—are worthy of close examination, especially if they stick around for more than a week or two. "I call it body talk," he says. "Your body does a good job of sending you signals or clues when something's wrong." 

But sometimes those signals are super subtle. Here are a few of those signals you don't want to ignore.

Your handwriting is shrinking.

Any changes to your handwriting could signal a developing tremor, which is an early indicator of Parkinson's disease, Danoff says. Especially if your handwriting is getting smaller and tighter, this may be a furtive sign you're struggling to hold your hand steady, he says.

Your skin feels different.

Dry and itchy skin are common issues. But if seasonal shifts—or a new soap or moisturizer—can't explain your sudden skin changes, you'll want to tell your doctor if your skin suddenly seems dryer, itchier, thicker, or scaly, says Lauralee Yalden, MD, a New Jersey-based family medicine physician. "The thickening of the skin can signify high blood pressure or kidney problems," Yalden explains. "Dry, itchy skin could be caused by an underactive thyroid, a nutritional deficiency, or even an autoimmune disorder." 

Your breath smells fruity.

"With diabetes or prediabetes, people sometimes give off this weird, almost fruity odor," Danoff says. He and other experts attribute the smell to your body's efforts to burn off the excess sugar in your blood stream. "You'd notice the smell, and so would people around you," Danoff adds. 

You suddenly have trouble calculating tips.

If math is an old foe of yours, a little confusion while figuring out the tip isn't a big deal. But if you've always been good with numbers, problems calculating a tip or managing your finances could be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's or dementia, Danoff says. "If it happens once or twice, don't worry too much about it," he says. "But if you keep staring at your bill and you can't figure out what 20 pecent is, that may be something to pay attention to."

You struggle with stairs.

Are you out of breath when you get to the top of your staircase? That's something to keep an eye on, Danoff says. Especially if you can think back a few months and you're sure you didn't have stair-climbing issues before, you'll want to notify your doctor. Being out of breath after a little stair-climbing could signal heart trouble or COPD.

You feel dizzy when you stand up.

"Standing up too quickly, overexerting yourself, or simply not eating enough can make us feel dizzy or lightheaded," Yalden says. So can dehydration or your meds. But if you have to steady yourself "on a regular basis," you could be grappling with issues like anemia, an inner ear problem, or heart trouble, she says. 

You're peeing all the time.

Bowel changes are tricky. Most of us see daily fluctuations in the color, consistency, and frequency of our poop and pee. But if you're peeing all the time—we're talking a noticeable change that keeps up for more than a week or two—that could be a sign of new-onset diabetes, an infection, prostate problems (if you're a man), or even some bowel cancers, Danoff says. When it comes to you poo, a seaweed-green hue or sulfurous-smelling diarrhea are two changes you shouldn't ignore.