Does Wheezing Mean You Have Lung Cancer

Does Wheezing Mean You Have Lung Cancer ?

Wheezing, shortness of breath and a constant cough are the most common of lung disorders. This may be accompanied by fatigue, loss of weight and coughing up phlegm, often blood-stained. Wheezing is a whistling sound while breathing that is caused because of partially blocked airways.

But wheezing is not indicative of lung cancer as it is common to numerous respiratory diseases.

The initial stages of lung cancer have no symptoms at all. 25 percent of lung cancer patients discover they have the disease only when it is discovered in an X-ray that may be taken for some other reason. The other 75 percent begin to develop some symptoms. These are the direct results of the primary tumor.

Other symptoms likely to be noticed are:

Hoarseness
Difficulty in swallowing
Finger clubbing or change in the shape of the fingers and nails
A swelling in the face because of a blockage of a main blood vessel from the head
Enlarged lymph nodes resulting in a swelling in the neck
A pain or discomfort on the right side under the ribs
Acute shortness of breath caused by fluid round the lungs

Wheezing is also a symptom of bronchitis or pneumonia and bronchiolitis in infants. Usually wheezing is easily audible but at times a doctor might detect it only with the help of a stethoscope. A persistent wheeze only in one area in a smoker will make a doctor suspect lung cancer. Wheezing can also be cause by a foreign object lodged in an airway and causing an obstruction. A bronchoscope is used to locate and remove the offending object.

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Wheezing is a common result of a respiratory ailment. It could relate to something quite simple like a cough or mild pneumonia that causes congestion in the lungs, or in the worst case it could be a preliminary symptom of lung cancer. Wheezing is generally considered synonymous with asthma which is incorrect, as it could be associated with any number of respiratory conditions. More..