Topics: Cancer, Health, News, World News, Community, Sex and Relationships
One symptom could mean that you need to be screened for cancer.
When it comes to cancer, there are a terrifying number of signs and symptoms out there all of which could point to someone needing urgent treatment.
To make matters worse, they often cross over with symptoms of less serious health conditions, so can be tricky to spot.
So, having an idea of what to watch out for is hugely important, so you know when you should go to your doctor to see if you need any further checks.
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Of course, there are also many different types of cancer as well, but here we're just going to be talking about one particular kind of cancer, and that's cervical cancer.
This comes in two types - squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas, and has several telltale signs.
One big one to watch out for according to Cleveland Clinic, is a 'watery or bloody vaginal discharge that may be heavy and can have a foul odor.'
It might be embarrassing to go to the doctors with something like this, but given the potential medical ramifications, it's very important to go. After all, medical professionals have probably seen it all before anyway.
Time is of the essence with cancer, and if you do have cancer, then generally the sooner you catch it the better your prognosis as the tumor hasn't had as much time to grow or to spread to other parts of the body.
Unfortunately, in its very earliest stages ,cervical cancer can often cause limited symptoms, making vigilance all the more important.
Other symptoms to watch out for include 'vaginal bleeding after sex, between menstrual periods or after menopause'.
You might also experience pain during sex, as well as pelvic pain, or heavier, longer, and more painful menstruation than you usually have.
Change is a big factor here as well, as a lot of these symptoms can also indicate conditions such as fibroids or endometriosis, so if you know you already these, then a sudden unexplained change could be a red flag.
A big factor in cervical cancer as well is the HPV virus.
There are over 100 different kinds of HPV, and of these, around 12 of them have been shown to be linked to cancer.
Monitoring your sexual health and being aware if you might have been exposed to HPV is also very important in preventing cancer, and having an HPV vaccine can protect against the types of HPV that cause cancer.
