Leukemia is a blood cancer, and about 10% of all new cancer diagnoses each year are blood cancers.
Leukemia is also the most common type of cancer in children and teens, with about one-third of all new cases each year.
Like many other types of cancer, leukemia is often not noticeable in its early stages. But because your blood goes everywhere in your body, blood cancers can spread quickly.
That’s why it’s so important to pay attention to your body and teach your kids how to talk about how they feel.
One of the best ways to protect your health and the health of your family is to be aware of what’s going on.
Hold on, because I’m going to tell you about five important signs of leukemia that you can’t ignore.
Easily bleeding or getting bruises.
Leukemia is a type of blood cancer that can make you bleed more or less.
If even the smallest bump hurts or makes tiny spots of blood show up under your skin, that’s a warning sign.
Leukemia could also cause blood to show up in your urine or poop, make your nose bleed more often, or make your gums bleed when you eat or brush them.
Lymph nodes that are big.
Lymph nodes that are swollen because of leukemia tend to be in the throat, armpits, or groin.
But lymph nodes also get bigger when you have a common infection or are stressed out.
Alone, swollen lymph nodes do not point directly to leukemia. If you have any of the other symptoms on our list, you should also keep an eye on this one.
Loss of weight and appetite.
Even though leukemia doesn’t directly attack your digestive system, the cancer cells that cause it do make substances that change the way your body breaks down food.
These toxins can make it hard to eat, which can lead to unintentional weight loss.
Pain below the lower left ribs. Some types of blood cancer irritate and enlarge the spleen, putting painful pressure under the left ribs.
An enlarged spleen can also put pressure on your stomach, making you feel full even when you haven’t eaten, which can make you lose your appetite.
Wet nights.
When your body temperature rises during the night, it makes you sweat to try to cool it down.
You might not notice when you’re too hot, but you’ll probably wake up when your wet pajamas make you feel cold.
