In the early stages of mesothelioma, the symptoms are often so mild that many people don’t think they are serious enough to go to the doctor. In some cases, there may be no early symptoms at all.
Mesothelioma is often undiagnosed or missed, and it can sometimes go undiagnosed for years. It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to see a doctor if you have mesothelioma symptoms.
Mesothelioma can develop after recent asbestos exposure or up to 40 years after exposure. If you have been exposed to asbestos, you should talk to your doctor and get regular medical checks.
Asbestos is what causes mesothelioma, so it is important to talk to your doctor and get regular medical checks. Even very brief exposure can cause mesothelioma.
READ ALSO: MESOTHELIOMA: Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment
Your doctor can then do regular check-ups and screenings of your lungs to catch the disease in its early stages. This way, the cancer can be caught before any symptoms show up.
The sooner you discover cancer, the less time it has to spread and the higher your chances of getting better.
Early Symptoms
When a person has mesothelioma, the first signs are usually: breathlessness or shortness of breath, which can be accompanied by a heavy or uncomfortable feeling in the chest. Because these symptoms are vague and hard to identify, 90% of patients don’t go to the doctor soon away.
Pleural effusion is the cause of the shortness of breath and the uncomfortable feeling in the chest. Pleural effusion is a build-up of fluid in the lungs that makes it harder for the body to get oxygen.
If you have been exposed to asbestos and have these two symptoms, you should see your doctor right away. Breathlessness and a heavy chest are mesothelioma symptoms that should not be ignored.
It is better to go to the doctor right away to get a correct diagnosis than to wait and see.
Body areas which mesothelioma develops
The most common place for cancer to grow is in the chest or lungs, which is called pleural mesothelioma. Another common area for a tumour to develop is in the abdomen, which is known as peritoneal mesothelioma.
The symptoms of mesothelioma vary slightly depending on where the cancer started. However, you will notice that many of the symptoms overlap. Most of the time, it does not matter where the original tumour was.
Though it’s not common, mesothelioma can grow in places other than the abdomen or chest, such as around the heart.
Symptoms of pleural mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma symptoms include
- Chest pain in the front and sides
- Back pain
- shortness of breath
- Trouble swallowing
- A persistent cough
- fever, tiredness
- weight loss
The symptoms include muscle weakness, coughing up blood, feeling ill, facial and arm swelling, and a hoarse voice.
Symptoms of Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma includes
- Pain and swelling in the abdomen
- Swelling in the feet
- Unexplained weight loss
- Throwing up
- Anaemia
- Difficulty breathing.
It is common for the abdominal mass to affect the liver, which controls bleeding. This is why blood clotting problems may also be seen. As with pleural mesothelioma, you may also feel very tired and have weak muscles.
Although these symptoms may show up in the early stages of the disease, they often don’t until later. You may also only have one or two of these symptoms instead of all of them. Do not wait until you have more symptoms, because time is of the essence.
If you have any of these symptoms and ever been exposed to asbestos, make sure to see your doctor immediately.
What is asbestosis?
Asbestosis is a benign condition that is common in people who have been exposed to asbestos. Many patients think that they cannot get mesothelioma unless they have asbestosis first, but this is a myth because the cancer can develop without any previous benign disease or symptoms.
Asbestosis and mesothelioma have many of the same symptoms, and you can’t know which you have without medical testing. Remember that the sooner you get a diagnosis, the better.
This means you will get medical care and treatment much sooner, which can improve your prognosis. Pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma refer to the location of the original tumour, which may be in the chest or abdomen, rather than the type.
Once a tumor is found, more tests will be done to figure out what kind of mesothelioma it is. Treatment and prognosis depend on the type and where it is found.
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