Signs Of Pleural Mesothelioma

One of the difficult things about pleural mesothelioma is how hard it is to catch early. When this type of cancer first manifests, symptoms tend to be mild enough not to be noticed. A cough might be passed off as seasonal allergies, and more severe symptoms might just be considered a cold. By the time symptoms become more acute, pleural mesothelioma has already progressed much farther than it should have. It can take between ten and fifty years for the development of this cancer after asbestos exposure. Oftentimes, medical professionals misdiagnose pleural mesothelioma because they aren't considering it as a possibility. These are the most common symptoms of pleural mesothelioma to watch for.

Persistent Cough

A persistent cough can be an indication there is something wrong with your lungs. If you have been coughing for more than a week, even if you think it's a run-of-the-mill ailment, have your doctor double check. Coughs aren't usually caused by mesothelioma, but your doctor might detect other illnesses. Besides, if the cough is caused by mesothelioma, it's best to catch it early.

Many individuals go for months with a cough before they seek a doctor's opinion. Some also don't go to the doctor until the cough worsens or becomes unbearable. You can't wait this long, because, by the time the cough has reached this point, it will be too late for most preventative measures.

In 2011, a study was conducted, gathering responses from 221 pleural mesothelioma patients. Of those patients, thirty-six percent had a persistent, chronic cough before diagnosis, and many of them did not seek professional treatment for months. If you experience this symptom or others on this list, and you have a history of exposure to asbestos, talk to a specialist.

Continue reading to learn about the symptom related to weight.

Unexplained Weight Loss

A major sign of pleural mesothelioma is unexplained weight loss. If you're losing weight without substantial changes to your diet and exercise, talk to a doctor. Weight loss can be caused by other conditions that also require medical treatment, such as diabetes.

A patient with pleural mesothelioma might find themselves having unexplained, increased difficulty with swallowing liquid and food. This is different from anorexia nervosa, in which a person chooses not to eat. When the difficulty swallowing is an extreme case, the individual might become malnourished and dehydrated, possibly to the point of requiring hospital intervention.

It is normal for weight to fluctuate, but an unexplained weight loss of more than just a few pounds isn't normal. More likely, it's an indication a severe medical condition is going untreated.

Keep going to learn the full details on the next symptom.

Chest Pain

In the same 2011 study of pleural mesothelioma patients, sixty-four percent of respondents said they suffered chest pain prior to diagnosis. In stage one of this cancer, the tumor will often not cause noticeable symptoms. However, stage one pleural mesothelioma might present with pain in the chest. The chest pain develops because of the fluid built up around the lungs. This fluid, otherwise called pleural effusion, causes pressure and sharp pain in the chest. Chest pain might also be caused by tumors pressing against the chest wall and the lungs.

Unexplained pain in the chest is always a reason to see a medical professional. If you have a history of asbestos exposure, you'll want them to screen for mesothelioma. Even if you don't have any exposure history that you know of, chest pain can be a sign of many different medical conditions. You might have undiagnosed heart or lung issues that should be taken care of.

Continue to find out what symptom individuals should watch out for at night.

Night Sweats

Night sweats are often a symptom that prompts individuals to go to the doctor. In the best cases, these sweats are an annoying but harmless situation. In other cases, they might be a sign you have a serious physical health issue.

One of the potential causes of these sweats is cancer. While most commonly seen in lymphoma, night sweats are also present in pleural mesothelioma cases. It is, however, uncommon for these sweats to be the only symptom a person experiences if they have this cancer. You would likely also have a cough or chest pain.

The sweats are defined as drenching sweats that force individuals to change their clothes. They occur due to hot flashes unrelated to the external environment. If you're seeing your doctor for these symptoms, and you have a previous history of asbestos exposure, it's important to let them know. They can order tests to either detect or rule out pleural mesothelioma.

Continue for the next symptom, related to breathing.

Shortness Of Breath

Shortness of breath is another symptom that may occur when pleural mesothelioma is still at the first stage. It's often accompanied by a cough and pain in the chest. You will feel yourself having difficulty catching your breath, even if you haven't had any recent changes in your physical lifestyle. It's not unusual to experience difficulty breathing at higher altitudes or to have trouble catching your breath after tough exercise you aren't used to. But unexplained shortness of breath might indicate a more serious medical problem.

It's common for the difficulty breathing to be related to diminished lung capacity. In pleural mesothelioma patients, fluid builds up in the chest and around the lungs. The pleural effusion causes a person's lung capacity to shrinks, meaning the lungs can't expand the way they used to. This is also true when the cause is tumors pressing against the lungs, preventing them from full expansion.