Two possible signs of cancer in your hands you should never ignore
In terms of the parts of our body we can see and examine it's hard to think of something that's easier to look at than your hands.
Seriously, hold your hands out in front of your face and give them a good look-over, the tools with which you manipulate the world around you can hold few secrets from your eyes.
With that in mind, there are two possible signs of cancer which your hands could tell you about just by looking, so pay attention and learn what they are.
There are many physical signs which could be an indicator of cancer and knowing what to spot is useful as it ought to prompt a trip to the doctors for a proper diagnosis.
Advert
If you know what to look out for then you'll be better placed to recognise a warning sign when you see it, and with a disease like cancer, the earlier you catch it the better.
As for what your hands can tell you, there are two main things to watch out for.
The first is something called 'finger clubbing', which is when there are some changes to the shape of your fingers, and can indicate lung cancer and mesothelioma.
The skin around your fingernails goes red, and your nails will become more curved than before.
The nail and skin around it will look shinier, and the tips of your fingers will swell to become larger, which is what gives this medical term its name.
Your nails might also feel softer and more spongy, and this condition can affect your toes as well.
If you want to see if you have finger clubbing then you can try something called the 'Schamroth window test', where you hold an opposing finger from each hand against each other nail-to-nail.
You ought to be able to see a diamond shaped gap, but if you can't see this and the enlarged fingers and nails leave little between them, it may be an issue.
Finger clubbing is a rare condition, and can also be a sign of heart and lung disease so it's definitely something that should make you want to visit the doctor.
The second sign to be on the lookout for is easily bruised fingers.
Fingers are rather difficult parts of the body to bruise, so if yours more readily bear the signs of damage that may be a warning.
Easy bruising is one of the most common signs of blood cancer, such as leukaemia, so if you're seeing bruises there and don't remember taking a significant hit to the fingers, it may suggest that something is up with your blood.
Even if it's not a sign of leukaemia, it can still be a warning that something is up with your blood and could point the way towards other health issues.
Spotting early warning signs is crucial to cancer survival and knowing what to look for can be the key to saving your life, if you're concerned then the best course of action is to go and see a doctor.
Joe Harker