Cancer is the scourge of our times. Malignant formations, which can appear only at the last (incurable) stage of the disease, lead to the death of a person. One of the most common neoplasms is carcinoma - lung cancer. The worst thing is that oncology can overtake everyone, most often men over 50 become susceptible.
Lung cancer: first signs
One of the main symptoms is a cough with lung cancer. This symptomatic sign is a reflex process. It occurs as a result of the fact that intrathoracic pressure increases and the respiratory muscles contract. The main feature is that the airways are cleared of foreign substances, this is a kind of structural change in the tissues and cells of the lungs.
Cough as a phenomenon is not an exact symptom of lung cancer. There are a number of additional features to consider:
- by frequency of cough;
- by strength;
- by frequency;
- on sonority;
- bysoreness;
- amount of accompanying sputum;
- timbre.
Severe cough with lung cancer is regular, and the general he alth of the patient is deteriorating.
Cough processes occur for the following reasons:
- due to a decrease in the working area of the bronchi;
- due to an increase in tumor formations on the diaphragm, pleura sheets;
- when squeezing the lymph nodes (increased in size) of the bronchi;
- with accumulation of fluid in the pleural cavity;
- with inflammation of the bronchial mucosa.
As an accompanying symptom, there is increased shortness of breath, making it difficult to breathe.
Among external signs, the following should be indicated:
- pale gray facial skin;
- increased lymph nodes on the collarbone and armpits;
- upper body constantly swollen;
- veins in the chest area become wider.
Possible manifestation of Horner's syndrome.
Lung cancer stages
Bronchogenic cancer can be defined by three types:
- small cell;
- easy;
- not small cell.
There is no difference in these etiological signs of the affected areas in men and women. Lung cancer can exist in the form of tumor formations that are not even detected by x-ray scans.
In oncology, it is customary to qualify lung cancer according to severaldevelopmental stages:
- 1 stage: the malignancy does not exceed 3-4 cm in size. There are no metastases. The first symptomatic signs: headache, general ailment, cough, loss of appetite, unstable body temperature.
- 2 stage: isolated cases of manifestation of metastases in the pulmonary zones and lymph nodes. The size of the tumor is about 6 cm. Typical symptoms: difficulty in breathing, hemoptysis, chest pain, wheezing.
- 3 stage: the tumor is more than 6 cm, goes to the second lobe of the lung, adjacent bronchus. Metastases pass to other organs of the respiratory system. Symptoms: Pain when swallowing, difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, lung cancer cough with pus and blood.
- 4 stage: metastases, tumor growth, damage to the pleural cavity that surrounds the lung. Characteristic symptoms: severe chest pain, coughing up blood and pus, severe weight loss, shortness of breath.
An alarming "bell" should be a high body temperature - about 38 ºС, constant urge to cough. Any antipyretic does not do its job.
Causes of cancer
Doctors point to several versions that cause the formation of cancer cells, as well as causal factors that depend on the person himself. So, the reasons for the appearance of a tumor in the lungs that are independent of a person include:
- predisposition at the genetic level to the appearance of cancer;
- for chronic diseases of the respiratory system;
- endocrine disruption;
- whenage-related changes in the body.
Factors that depend on the person should also be indicated:
- smoking;
- negligence towards one's own he alth;
- polluted environment;
- professional activities;
- chronic lung diseases: pneumonia, tuberculosis, etc.
The main modifier of the appearance of lung cancer is smoking. When burned out, tobacco smoke contains 4,000 different types of toxic carcinogens. They settle on the mucous membrane of the respiratory tract, thereby destroying he althy cells. Chemical compounds are also extremely dangerous. They gradually accumulate, forming a liquid (outwardly resembling oil), and fall on the porous structure of the lungs.
Types of cough
There are several varieties of cough, which characterizes a disease such as lung cancer. What kind of cough with lung cancer happens, let's take a closer look:
- A short cough is a special type of cough accompanied by a strong, rapid contraction of the abdominal muscles. With such a cough, internal pressure on the respiratory tract increases, the trachea decreases.
- Short cough recurs regularly. Its speed is equal to the speed of light. This type of cough is a sign of the initial symptom of cancer.
Intense Manifestation
Lung cancer: strong cough is constant convulsive. It usually occurs at night, as an additional symptom - a kind of convulsions of the respiratory tract. Cough shocks are continuous, and afterthere are sonorous and long breaths.
Bouts of this type of coughing recur regularly and may be aggravated by vomiting. A serious complication is fainting (loss of consciousness), as a result of which the heart rhythm is disturbed.
Dry cough
Dry cough in lung cancer is the main symptom. It is continuous, hoarse and slightly muffled. Sometimes a dry cough with lung cancer can be completely silent. This type of cough is a signal that changes are taking place in the structure of the cells of the respiratory tract. Gradually, a dry cough becomes painful and severe.
Wet cough
Wet cough in lung cancer is determined by the fact that there may be significant sputum discharge. There is an increase in the secretory work of the surface of the bronchi.
Usually this process occurs in the morning or at night, when sputum clots collect in the bronchial cavity. With lung cancer, coughing up phlegm can tell a lot. It is necessary to first determine the consistency of sputum: with/without blood and what color.
Bloody
Coughing with blood in lung cancer is a clear sign of oncological neoplasms in the respiratory tract. Blood streaks have a bright scarlet color in the form of viscous mucus. After a strong cough, shortness of breath is observed. Bloody discharge is the course of an inflammatory process in the organs of the respiratory system, which means increased intrapulmonary pressure. There is pain in the chest during a coughing fit.
Without explicitsymptoms
Lung cancer without cough and fever can occur in a peripheral form of pathology. Such a symptomatic manifestation of oncology significantly complicates medical diagnosis and, accordingly, treatment.
How to relieve lung cancer cough?
Cough can be relieved by any means that eliminate the causes of its occurrence, namely:
- Start treatment of the inflammatory process in the organs of the respiratory system.
- Improve the circulation of fresh air, humidification can occur through special devices.
- Department of the brain to "force" not to respond to the manifestation of irritations: relaxation method, breathing control exercises. Psycho-emotional release will also be useful: listening to music, walking in the fresh air, etc.
- If pathological fluid accumulates in the cavity of the respiratory organs, remove it, which will greatly facilitate coughing.
- Completely quit smoking and inhaled smoke.
- Strengthen immunity and "acquire" the body's defenses with the help of special medicines (phytocomponents).
- Comfortable body position when coughing - sitting. Do not lay the patient in a horizontal position during a coughing fit.
- Remove annoying odors in the patient's room.
It is impossible to get rid of coughing fits against the background of ongoing cancer forever. But alleviating the suffering of the patient is a feasible task.
Lung Cancer: Treating Cough
Choicespecific treatment for lung cancer should be based on the severity of the underlying disease. Treatment is effective only in the early stages of the oncological process in the lungs.
Drug treatment is practically no different from the treatment of cough in bronchitis. It is important to eliminate phlegm and act on the bronchi. Cough in lung cancer is treated with expectorants and thinners. Among the pharmacological medicines are:
- "Muk altin" - a remedy that has an expectorant effect. It is based on marshmallow root extract.
- "Pertussin". As part of the drug - components of plant and synthetic effects. The active substance is thyme extract and potassium bromide.
- "Prospan" has an antispasmodic and antimicrobial effect, and also removes sputum viscosity from the bronchi.
- "Lazolvan" increases the secretion of mucus in the respiratory tract.
- "Flavamed" is a therapeutic drug that helps reduce sputum and activates the epithelium of the bronchi.
The above drugs are designed to eliminate sputum. However, with lung cancer, there is also a dry cough. Antitussives that help relieve the patient's condition:
- "Broncholitin" is a drug that has a bronchoantiseptic effect. The composition includes basil oil, so the product has an anesthetic effect.
- "Paxeladin" - the drug has a direct effect on the cough center and normalizesbreath.
- "Stoptussin" is a drug that has an expectorant and antitussive effect. The cough center under the influence of the drug is weakened due to anesthesia of the nerve endings of the bronchi.
It should be remembered that expectorant and antitussive drugs should not be taken simultaneously. Otherwise, pneumonia can be provoked, which will worsen the patient's condition.
Folk remedies for treating cough with lung cancer are also known. However, before proceeding with them, it is necessary to consult with your doctor. It is impossible to cure lung cancer only by folk methods. Traditional therapy has a deterrent effect on the spread of oncology. Folk remedies can only give an additional beneficial effect and be used as a concomitant treatment.
To prevent lung cancer, doctors recommend quitting smoking once and for all. And patients with oncology of the respiratory tract are recommended to follow a special diet and resort to medications as a treatment. Only strict adherence to medical prescriptions will help stop the spread of cancers.
