Lung Cancer May Make The Skin Next To Your Nails To Appear Like This

Many cancer types are life-threatening, but the top killer among them all is lung cancer. Alarmingly, more women are being diagnosed as suffering from lung cancer. Since the outcome of treatment highly depends on the time of discovery, early detection is therefore critical. The earlier this deadly ailment is discovered, the higher are the chances of a successful recovery.

Symptoms of Lung Cancer

Lung cancer symptoms often begin subtly and worsen as time goes by. Since many of its symptoms are similar to less serious ailments like most common coughs. If such a cough persists or worsens, then it is prudent to have yourself examined by a doctor. Other symptoms of lung cancer include expelling blood when coughing, experiencing shortness of breathing on an almost daily basis, and feeling weak or tired for no reason at all.

Many patients also complain of having painful feelings in the chest, shoulders, or back that worsens when laughing, coughing, or taking a deep breath. Several lung cancer patients also lose their appetites and experience an unexplained weight loss. They also report experiencing bouts of wheezing or hoarseness in their throats.

The Signs On the Fingers

There is another symptom that many people do not know. It is highly recommended that you watch out for this symptom along with other symptoms of lung cancer. According to health experts, having a shiny skin next to your nails may indicate the development of the deadly disease. This indicates the first phase of finger clubbing, which has strong links to lung cancer. While this happens only occasionally, finger clubbing is a strong indication that a person has acquired a deadly condition.

Cancer Research UK reveals that finger clubbing’s first stage, together with shiny skin beside the nail bed, is when the nail base becomes soft. After this, the nails may look curvier when observed from the side. This is referred to as Scarmouth’s sign. Finally, the ends of your fingers may appear bigger than normal.

Some lung cancers cause finger clubbing as it produces hormone-like chemicals that force more fluid and blood to the tissues at the fingertips. You can perform a simple test to identify the condition. Called the Schamroth window test, this involves putting your nails together to check if space exists between cuticles. Make sure that your other fingers are not blocking your view of the area between the nails. If there is no space between the nails, then it is a sign of finger clubbing.