9. You’re coughing up blood
I know seeing blood is quite scary for most people, especially when it’s your own. So if you ever experience coughing up blood, take it as a warning sign and call your doctor immediately.
According to Posina, the blood usually comes from the lungs or bronchial tubes, and it could be a sign of lung cancer, tuberculosis, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Moreover, if you’re coughing large quantities of blood, call 911 immediately, the Mayo Clinic says.
10. You have an unusual bump on your skin
Not to scare you, but most of the time unusual bumps or metastasis in the skin can be the first sign of lung cancer, a 2015 study published in the journal BMC Research Notes found.
According to Posina, metastasis often generates round nodules on the skin and typically appears when the cancerous cells spread to the skin. These nodules are painless and can appear in areas like the chest, abdomen, head, and neck.
11. Your voice is raspy
Your voice usually changes with the onset of puberty and once you’re an older adult, but beyond that, it stays the same. So if you notice that your getting raspy, it’s definitely unusual.
Most of the time, a raspy voice is usually a symptom for chronic cough or a tumor that’s pressing on your vocal cords. It could also be a sign of lung cancer, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
12. Chest tightness
According to Meyer, you can experience asthma for the first time in adulthood, too, even if it usually begins in childhood. Moreover, it can even appear in older adults, even those aged 70 years old.
Among asthma’s symptoms (shortness of breath, dry cough and wheezing), you can also feel tightness in your chest, as it’s also a very common symptom that most people aren’t aware of. So it’s vital to be cautious, as asthma can be triggered by something as simple as seasonal allergies.
