Bleeding gums are one of the early and warning signs of leukemia.
Awareness of the early signs is extremely important especially in children because there are types of leukemia that grow rapidly and are fatal.
If you would like to understand what turns white blood cells cancerous, check out: What Causes Leukemia.
What are the signs you ought to know?
Swollen lymph nodes
Swollen lymph nodes that are located in the neck and the armpits can be felt don't usually cause pain. Just because you don't feel any pain doesn't mean everything's fine. Have yourself checked for CLL leukemia. Lymph nodes swell because leukemic cells can build up in the lymph nodes.
Swollen abdomen
Abdominal swelling is a warning sign of leukemic cells that have invaded either your spleen or your liver. A swollen abdomen is a sign that the cancer has metastasized.
Excessive and oversensitivity to bruising
Every now and then, you may get bruises. They commonly happen as warning signs before your menstrual period. Bruises may appear as small red or purple dots or patches on or under the skin. But if you notice them appearing frequently and excessively, see your doctor just to be sure. Bruises that occur in children should be taken seriously because they can indicate childhood acute lymphocytic or ALL leukemia.
Abnormal bleeding
It is not normal if you bleed easily or excessively. It is a warning sign of a shortage of healthy platelets in the blood.
Abnormal bleeding can occur as . . .
frequent nosebleeds,
minor cuts that don't stop bleeding immediately, and
bleeding or swollen gums.
It is also one of the warning symptoms of childhood leukemic disease.
5. Persistent fever, chills or night sweats
Having flu-like symptoms such as frequent fever or sweating during nighttime are early warning signs of leukemia. Fever and sweating often accompany infection, which is another one of the warning signs of leukemic cells.
Frequent infections
Recurring infection is a warning sign that commonly occurs in leukemic patients. You become prone to infections because your white blood cells that fight viruses and bacteria are damaged. When new white blood cells are produced by the bone marrow, they are also unhealthy and unable to fight off viruses and bacteria.
Severe weight loss
Losing a lot of weight that you can't explain is one of the early leukemia symptoms. It is definitely one of the warning signs that you and other people around you can notice it.
Unintentional weight loss of more than 10 pounds definitely indicates cancer such as leukemia.
Poor appetite
Anemia
Anemia is characterized by the different signs such as paleness, extreme weakness or tiredness and breathing problems.
Bear in mind that having one or two of these warning signs doesn’t always mean leukemia symptoms. Having any of them may indicate other medical conditions.
However, you must also consider that the signs you are noticing can mean leukemia. After all, it is your health we are talking about here. It's best that you see a doctor and talk to him if you are experiencing any of these warning signs of leukemia. It always pays to be cautious.
