10 Signs of Throat Cancer to Never Ignore

You can win your battle against throat cancer with a positive attitude. But first, it’s critical not to ignore the signs of cancer in your throat. This form of cancer is highly treatable – especially if you catch the condition early. Small tumors in the throat can be removed with relatively little damage.

The Mayo Clinic defines cancer of the throat as cancer of the throat, voice box, or tonsils. This cancer, which is not as common as other cancers, usually begins in the flat cells inside the throat, the pharynx. Throat-related cancer can also damage the epiglottis, which is the cover of the windpipe.

If cancer spreads before being detected, the prognosis is less positive. To eradicate the cancerous cells, surgeons might have to remove parts of your vocal cords, jaw, voice box, tonsils, and oropharynx. Therefore, you must check with your doctor if you develop symptoms that persist for a long time.

Men are more susceptible to throat cancer than women. Key lifestyle habits can put you at higher risk. These risky behaviors include:

The Mayo Clinic offers these five tips for reducing your risks of developing any cancer and improving your general health:

The top 10 early warning symptoms of cancer of the throat, according to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, include:

The early stages of disease almost always generate a sore throat. Unlike cold- and flu-based soreness, the pain doesn’t disappear in a few days.

Any form of cancer usually results in loss of weight. Throat pain can make it even more challenging to eat and swallow generally so that weight loss can be fast and severe.

Your voice often changes when you develop cancer in the throat. That’s where the voice box resides. Both laryngeal and hypopharyngeal cancers can cause hoarseness and changes in the sound of your voice.

According to the Rogel Cancer Center, laryngeal cancer often targets the vocal cords, but the good news is that these tumors are relatively easy to find and remove. Cancer that doesn’t start on the vocal cords usually develops more when hoarseness occurs. Slurred words,

It’s common to have difficulties swallowing food usually. Food often reels as if it sticks in the throat. You might feel a burning sensation when you try to swallow.

Enlarged lymph nodes are a significant symptom of many types of cancer. The nodes in the neck are located right below the back of the lower jaw on each side. There are many possible causes of enlarged lymph nodes, which include the common cold. Nodes that keep growing and don’t swell and shrink are critical signs to see your doctor.

Persistent coughing that doesn’t improve is a telling symptom – especially if you begin to cough up blood. Smokers should be able to detect the difference in smoker’s cough and cancer-related coughing.

You might develop problems opening your mouth and chewing your food.

It’s not just the lymph nodes that are symptoms of oral cancer. You should see a doctor immediately if you find a bump anywhere in the mouth, jaw, throat, or neck.

Nosebleeds are common symptoms of oral cancers – especially if you’re not usually susceptible to them.

Headaches are frequent, ranging from behind the eyes to full-on migraine-type events. The pain might extend into the neck and shoulders.

If you develop any of these symptoms that persist for over a few days, you should see your doctor immediately. Throat cancer can be treated with great success in the early stages, but don’t give up hope if the disease is advanced.

Treatment options for cancers of the throat include the standard arsenal of cancer treatments:

Despite medical advances, cancer diagnoses are still horrifying causes of stress and anxiety. According to one research paper, managing the pain of cancer is still a tricky guessing game. Less than half of patients get what they feel as adequate pain medication.

Substandard pain management can prove extremely debilitating, and the lack of energy aggravates cancer. It’s been proven many times that staying active is one of the best ways to fight the disease. You might want to consider mind-body control techniques to manage your pain – such as yoga and breathing exercises.

A recent study discovered a new option for managing pain, which is called cryoneurolysis treatment. During this therapy, nerves are frozen to block them from transmitting pain signals.

Mental energy can often marshall your physical resources to prevent or fight cancer. There are no clinically proven ways to avoid cancer of the throat – except these four strategies, outlined by the cited Mayo Clinic article:

Maintaining a positive mental attitude can enormously affect your overall health. Positively dealing with negative thoughts and learning how to optimize your brain power are both steps you can take to protect your health proactively.

Traditional mind-body techniques can help you fight cancer. These include practicing mental techniques to strengthen your mind-body connection, eating foods that help your body fight cancer, such as fruits and vegetables, and developing a strong will to beat cancer.

Your mental determination to beat cancer – and fight multiple recurrences in some cases – is the most robust tool available for fighting cancer. You should certainly consult your doctor at the first symptom of throat cancer. The reason is not to give up or give in to this awful disease but to fight it with all the medical, spiritual, physical, and mental tools at your disposal.