Early Symptoms of Leukemia
There are some early symptoms of leukemia which, is if recognized for what they portend and investigated, may help to diagnose the disease while it is still treatable. In acute cases, early symptoms of leukemia are more likely to be observed than in chronic cases.
Early Symptoms of Leukemia
Since the infection-fighting white blood cells in the body are affected, some of the early symptoms of leukemia which may be observed are increased instances of infection or unexplained fevers, anemia (due to damage to bone marrow) leading to paleness, tiredness and shortness of breath. Another one of the most important early symptoms of leukemia is the tendency to bruise easily and bleed copiously from even minor cuts. This is caused by the damage to bone marrow which reduces its capability to produce platelets which are essential for clotting of blood.
The early symptoms of leukemia in chronic cases are great tiredness, loss of weight for no apparent reason and severe night-time sweating. However, in a large number of cases of the chronic variety, there are no early symptoms of leukemia while in acute cases, the early symptoms of leukemia may include fatigue, frequent and repeated infections, fever of unknown origin and painless lumps or nodules in the underarms, stomach, groin and neck.
In acute leukemia, the blood cells, which are present in large number, are abnormal and are unable to carry out their function properly. Hence, in cases of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML), the early symptoms of leukemia are:
- Fatigue
- Fever of unknown origin
- Paleness
- Loss of appetite
- bone or joint pain
- Easy bleeding or bruising
- Pain or fullness below the ribs
- Painless lumps in the groin, neck and underarms
- Frequent nosebleeds