Mesothelioma, a rare type of asbestos cancer, generally appears after decades of exposure to asbestos. If you are aware of the fact that you have been exposed to asbestos, it is very important to seek medical help.
The early symptoms of this cancer are very common physical conditions and can be easily mistaken for flu, bronchitis, pneumonia or even heart disease. Mesothelioma usually remains undiagnosed for years. The longer you wait to get medical help the longer this despise will have to spread to other parts of the body creating complications in the process of treatment. Measotheioma ia very aggressive cancer and resistant to treatment.
Even brief exposure to asbestos has been known to cause mesothelioma. Regular medical check ups and screening can help detect the disease and its stage. Early detection of the cancer can prevent it from spreading to other parts of the body. If malignant mesothelioma is caught the out comes of treatment can be favourable. 90% of the patients of mesothelioma experience very common symptoms such as breathlessness, and heavy chest pain at early stages. This occurs due to pleural effusion; excess amount of fluid present in the pleura (fluid space surrounding lungs). It limits the expansion area for lungs and amount of oxygen needed for breathing, therefore, causing difficulty in breathing. Ignoring these symptoms can be fatal.
They may not seem troublesome to you but they could be indicating that you have developed mesothelioma.
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Symptoms of mesothelioma may differ depending on the part of body where the cancer had developed. Mesotheliom has different types; the most common type is when the cancer develops in the lung area or the chest cavity. It is known as pleural mesothelioma. Another area is the abdomen; this is called the peritoneal mesothelioma. Symptoms may differ but sometimes they can be over lapping. Third type is the Pericardial mesothelioma, it occurs around the lining of the heart. This type of mesothelioma cancer is not as common as the other two.
Tests can be conducted to ensure if you have developed a tumor in any of these areas. Treatments vary according to the location of the cancer.
Early symptoms According to the Type of Mesothelioma:
Pleural Mesothelioma: Early symptoms include frontal and side chest pains, back pain, shortness of breath, difficulty in swallowing, cough, fever, fatigue, and weight loss. Symptoms of coughing up blood, nausea, muscle weakness, hoarseness and swelling on face and arms have been detected in some cases.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma: Early symptoms include abdominal pain and swelling, swelling of feet, nausea, vomiting, unexplained weight loss, lower back pain. Fatigue, blood clotting and muscle weakness may also be seen. Many of the symptoms are same as that of Pleural Mesothelioma.
Pericardial Mesothelioma: This type of mesothelioma is not as well understood as Pleural Mesothelioma. Patients may experience shortness of breath, chest pain and other heart-related symptoms. Shortness of breath and cough are less common symptoms.
In the early stages of this cancer one or two of the mentioned symptoms may be seen. Do not wait for more symptoms develop and consult a good doctor as soon as possible, remember time is of essence.