Two red flag warning signs in bed that could be symptoms of deadly cancer

There are more than 200 types of cancer that can affect humans. The disease occurs when abnormal cells divide and spread in an uncontrolled way, reaching nearby tissue and organs.

Typically symptoms of cancer will often depend on where in the body it is growing. For example, bowel cancer can cause blood to appear in your poo and lung cancer can lead to a persistent cough.

However, others can be less specific and easily dismissed as something not to worry about. According to health bodies there are two such signs to be wary of.

These symptoms are most noticeable in the morning when you wake up.

They are:

Waking up drenched in sweatFeeling exhausted even after a long sleep.

Night sweats

Many people experience some form of sweating overnight. The temperature of the room and whether you share a bed with a partner are common causes of sweating.

But if you wake up regularly to find yourself drenched in sweat this could be a red flag sign of cancer.

“Most people sweat during the night,” the NHS says. “If you regularly wake up with soaking wet sheets you should get it checked by a GP.

“Night sweats are when you sweat so much that your night clothes and bedding are soaking wet, even though where you’re sleeping is cool.”

According to the health body, some cancers can cause you to sweat more than usual.

These include:

Non-Hodgkin lymphomaHodgkin lymphomaCarcinoid tumoursLeukaemiaMesotheliomaBone cancerProstate cancerKidney cancerGerm cell tumoursAdvanced medullary thyroid cancer.

Cancer Research UK adds that “sweating can be a cancer symptom or may be due to cancer treatment”.

The charity says: “It can be very distressing. It can also be embarrassing if you are in a social situation.”

If you wake up regularly covered in sweat you should speak to your GP.

Fatigue

Similar to sweating, feeling tired is quite common.

There are a number of potential causes such as a lack of sleep, not eating enough or being deficient in a certain vitamin among others.

However, if you feel tired even after waking up from a long sleep it could be a sign of something more sinister.

“Fatigue means feeling very tired, exhausted and lacking energy,” Cancer Research UK says.

“It can be a symptom of the cancer itself or a side effect of treatment.”

Research suggests cancer related fatigue affects almost 65 out of 100 people with cancer.

The charity explains it may make you feel like you want to stay in bed all day and make it hard to get up in the morning.

Other signs of cancer-related fatigue include:

The need to rest even when you’ve done little or no activityFeeling you just cannot be bothered to do muchSleeping problems such as unable to sleep or disturbed sleep.