Thursday, August 11, 2011

Symptoms of mesothelioma: Several Symptoms of Mesothelioma

By John Roney


Mesothelioma destroys its victim and his family emotionally and physically. Losing someone you love is a traumatic experience. When you see someone dying of cancer in front of your own eyes, it drains you off any soft feelings that you have about life in general. Slow death by cancer is something that one would not even like to think about. This particular cancerous Mesothelioma disease does not appear suddenly like some wound on the outer covering of the body. People who have been diagnosed with this cancer are usually elderly people who have been inhaling Asbestos laden air for years. The incurable disease slowly starts growing up in the body. There are many aspects to this rare form of cancer, which are still shrouded in mystery.

Symptoms of Mesothelioma are dubious in nature. There are many common ailments and their symptoms which can misguide us into thinking that the symptoms that we are seeing in the patient are not those of a Mesothelioma patient. Flimsy fibers that a person takes in while inhaling, deeply embed themselves in the lining that is found around the internal organs of the body. Not all fibers contain cancer tissues at the earlier stage. It takes years to get scarred within the body through the abrasive effect of these fibers, scars worsen and inflammation is caused in them. Final result of this inflammation is cancer.

The most common form of mesothelioma, pleural mesothelioma forms in the lining of the lungs. Common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma include the following: persistent dry or raspy cough; trouble swallowing; cough that produces blood; painful breathing; shortness of breath; chest or rib pain; night sweats/fever; and unexplained weight loss. Fatigue and lumps under the skin of the chest have also been reported in patients with pleural mesothelioma. Many symptoms of pleural mesothelioma occur as a result of pleural thickening, which is caused by fluid buildup between membrane layers. Pleural thickening and fluid buildup can put pressure on the lungs, causing problems with respiratory function.

However, the early symptoms of the disease are not serious enough to cause alarm which delays diagnosis, resulting in aggravated circumstances. Inflammation of the lungs both by the presence of the cancer cells and their causative agents (e.g. asbestos fibers) result in the increased production of fluids by the pleura. This is known as pleural effusion. Excess fluid in the lungs result in symptoms such as: Coughing, Wheezing, Shortness of breath, Hoarseness. There may also be chest pain due to the increased pressure on the diaphragm and the lungs as a result of pleural effusion and the constriction of the tissues by the cancerous cells.
Peritoneal mesothelioma

The least common form of mesothelioma, pericardial mesothelioma develops in the sac surrounding the heart. Symptoms of pericardial mesothelioma include heart palpitations, chest pain, fatigue, trouble breathing, fever and night sweats. These symptoms are caused by fluid buildup and the thickening of the pericardial membrane. Because pericardial mesothelioma is rare, its list of symptoms of mesothelioma is not as comprehensive as other forms of mesothelioma. Pericardial mesothelioma is often difficult to diagnose and typically has a poor prognosis. Individuals experiencing symptoms of mesothelioma should seek medical attention immediately. Although mesothelioma shares symptoms with a number of less serious diseases, it's important to receive a firm diagnosis as soon as possible. Although the overall prognosis for mesothelioma is poor, patients diagnosed in the earlier stages typically have a better outlook.




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