Do Not Ignore These Skin Cancer Symptoms

Do Not Ignore These Skin Cancer Symptoms

Some skin cancer symptoms are not as obvious as others. These are a few you should actively watch out for.

The common assumption is that skin cancer symptoms and signs can only manifest on areas of skin that are exposed to the sun. While it is true that sun-exposed skin presents the primary area where skin cancer develops, this does not mean that skin cancer symptoms cannot show up in areas that almost never see the sun such as under your nails, on your palms or soles, on your genital area, etc. The problem with most skin cancer symptoms is that they can easily be mistaken for other skin issues. This often leads to a loss of time that prevents early diagnosis and a positive prognosis. By knowing the obvious as well as obscure skin cancer symptoms, you will know exactly what you need to watch out for, and which skin cancer symptoms should definitely not be ignored.

Skin Cancer Symptoms to Watch Out For

The first thing to understand is that there are a number of types of skin cancers that are classified under the broad marquee. These include basal cell skin cancers, squamous cell skin cancers, and melanoma. These are a few skin cancer symptoms you ought to wary about:

  • If you have a sore or a spot that has consistently refused to heal for more than 4 weeks, it may be more than just a sore.
  • Sores or spots that constantly itch, bleed, crust over, or get scabby for more than 4 weeks may be skin cancer symptoms.
  • It is important to watch out for ulcers. An ulcer is basically an area that in the stages of breaking down, and is getting deeper. Once erosion takes place, ulcers ought to heal. If you find yourself facing an ulcer that does not heal within 4 weeks, and that too, for no apparent reason, do not ignore it as it is most likely to be one of the many skin cancer symptoms.

What Skin Cancer Symptoms Look Like

Skin cancer symptoms and signs differ depending on the type of skin cancer that is manifesting.

  • Basal Cell Skin Cancer Symptoms

Most commonly seen on sun-exposed areas such as the face, ears, hands, back, shoulders, and scalp, basal cell skin cancers are generally small, shiny lumps that are pink or red in color, and slow to grow. Basal cell skin cancer symptoms may also include red scaly patches of skin. Do not ignore these skin cancer symptoms as the lumps/patches tend to either develop into an ulcer, get crusty, or bleed.

  • Squamous Cell Skin Cancer Symptoms

Unlike the shiny lumps of basal cell carcinomas, squamous cell skin cancer symptoms present themselves in the form of firmer lumps that are often rough to touch. These are found primarily in sun-exposed areas such as the head, neck, hands, arms, and hands. However, it is important to know that these skin cancer symptoms may also manifest inside the mouth, on the lips, on the genital area, etc. If you see skin cancer symptoms such as hard/scaly/crusty bumps, open sores that itch and bleed for more than a month, scaly patches of skin on the lips, skin nodules, etc., do not waste any time in getting them checked. Squamous cell cancers grow inwards, and tend to migrate to other parts of the body, if they are left untreated. So make haste if you see any of these skin cancer symptoms on your body.

  • Melanoma Skin Cancer Symptoms

Melanomas are perhaps the most feared forms of skin cancer. Most people are born with a few moles, while others tend to develop some during their childhood. A regular mole may be flat or raised, roundish in shape, and generally measures less than 6mm across. These moles are generally uniformly colored black, brown or tan. However, if an adult develops a new mole or an old one changes drastically, you may be facing melanoma skin cancer symptoms. Use the ABCDE rule to determine if your mole is a part of skin cancer symptoms you need to get checked.

Check if the mole is Asymmetrical , if the Border of the mole is irregular/blurred/ragged in shape, if the mole is not of uniform Color but has streaks of red/white/blue, if the Diameter is larger than 6mm across, and if the mole is constantly Evolving or changing in size/shape/color.

The key to effective treatment of skin cancer is to keep a watchful eye for skin cancer symptoms and get them checked immediately. Early detection results in best prognosis.

Related Reading

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Tips for Buying the Best Dog Food

Most of the dogs do not have a food fuss and may eat almost anything that you feed them. Dogs are not choosy at all when it comes to food and nutrition. Hence, it is important to make sure that the food that you are purchasing for your dog is healthy. The landscape of dog food has been developing by leaps and bounds in recent times. There is a wide variety of options to choose from in the online and offline market. Given the wide range of options that are available today, buying the best dog food might seem to be a confusing task indeed. All the commercial pet food that is available in the market today is regulated by the FDA. Therefore, most of the products do contain nutritious, healthy, and safe ingredients. But it does help to know certain basic factors you should look for while buying food for your dog. Prioritize on the nutritional guarantee The best dog food, which meets the dog’s needs adequately has a statement written on the label of the product, from the Association of American Feed Control Officials. Buy from some of the best dog food brands, such as Fromm Family Foods, Earthborn Holistic, Nature’s Variety Instinct, and The Honest Kitchen.
Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

Different Types of Kitchen Cabinets Available for Your Home

The most important aspect when designing your kitchen is deciding on the type of cabinets. In addition to functionality, kitchen cabinets score on aesthetics as well. Once the layout is planned, you can go ahead with choosing the cabinets. If you’re remodeling your home or just the kitchen, what you need to consider are the types of cabinets that furnish your kitchen. Here are a few types of kitchen cabinets that you can choose from. Base cabinets These kitchen cabinets are mounted on the floor and they are placed after checking out the floor plan. A major part of your job in the kitchen is on these base cabinets, which hold and support the countertops. These base cabinets are combined to carve out kitchen islands. A number of base cabinets are fused/set against one another and installed on site. The base cabinets, in addition to supporting the countertops, serve as drawers to hold your cutlery and appliances. Wall cabinets Mounted on the walls, these cabinets can store everything, right from your cookware to cookbooks. In terms of design, they offer utmost flexibility. Wall cabinet kitchen is available in varying heights, multiple widths, and custom depth options. This customization helps you to fit in your stuff of varying shapes and sizes into the wall cabinets.
How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

How to Pick the Right Dog Food for a Sensitive Stomach

In today’s world, where you are presented with over a dozen choices for every item you would purchase for your own kitchen, it is not surprising that you have an equal number of options for your dog’s food. However, choosing the perfect brand and formula for your dog out of a range of options in the market is not an easy job. Your pet depends on you and trusts you to make the right choice for them. Therefore, it is imperative that you do your research about the products available in the market, understand what your dog needs, know what might be your pet’s problems, and then make a sound decision. What is a sensitive stomach? Dogs are known to have voracious and large appetites. Keeping that in mind, it is normal to assume that they have strong stomachs. They can eat close to anything be it sweets, bakes, chewy gum, hard leather or even woolen socks for that matter! It always so happens that the strongest of them are prone to allergies and can develop a disorder which is medically translated as a sensitive stomach. This might be due to a sudden change in the food habits or even due an infection picked up from somewhere.
All You Need to Know about Cat Food

All You Need to Know about Cat Food

For cat owners, cat food is a hot topic. You need to think about it in different aspects. The best thing is to know which ingredients are good for cat food and which are harmful. If you are aware of this, you can get an idea about the quality of the cat food just by going through the label. It is always sensible to stick to one brand of cat food. However, you may also want to try and prepare cat food yourself. There are also various options for wet cat food as well. Cat’s love for fish is universal, so you can do without going for expensive cat food. Nevertheless, whether you buy it or prepare cat food at home, you need to ensure that the food contains enough nutrition and calories. You would need to have some idea about the ingredients that must be present in cat food and make a worthy selection for your cat. Basic ingredients present in good cat foods Cats need a variety of nutrients to stay healthy and active; they need various vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins, and oils. The following is a brief explanation of the basic ingredients that should be present in cat foods.