Mesothelioma is a form of cancer that people contract after long periods(usually 20-50 years) of exposure to asbestos. Many people live with it without knowing only for them
to come down with it later when it is beyond a state that is treatable. It is a rare disease
but does not mean that you are completely safe. It is very important that you
get tested for the disease if you have a history of direct or indirect exposure to asbestos for long
periods. There are very many ways on how to know if you have mesothelioma.
The progression of the disease is very slow and one can even succumb to other ailments without knowing that he or she had mesothelioma. If you know that you have been exposed to asbestos for more than twenty years then you need to get tested for the disease. The first symptoms include falling short of breath at the slightest exertion or when sleeping. This is brought about by pleural effusion which is an excessive collection of fluid in between the lungs and the chest cavity.
The other symptom is persistent cough usually dry accompanied by small episodes of breathlessness. The fluid constricts the air supply to the lungs and the cough is a reaction of the body trying to decongest the lungs. The heart may also be affected and you can possibly feel the fluid inside the chest cavity.
Chest pains are also symptoms to watch out for. When the cough becomes persistent you are likely to start feeling pain when coughing. The pain is usually sharp and it is during this stage of the ailment that many patients seek medical advice. Chest pains are common for extreme colds and flu but you should learn to differentiate the symptoms. People with lung cancer also experience similar symptoms.
It is also possible to have palpitations characterized by a very high heart rate. Before the disease was actually discovered, medical experts used to diagnose the condition as increased blood pressure. The reason behind the increased heart rate is the fluid collecting around the heart constricting the veins and arteries. The heart therefore had to put in extra effort to pump the required amount of blood to meet the needs of the body organs therefore resulting in an increased heart rate.
If you have a history of asbestos exposure long enough and you have any of the above symptoms then you should visit a medical institution for a checkup. Mesothelioma is diagnosed using advanced medical tests like Computer Tomography(CT) scans, X-ray and Magnetic Reasonance Imaging(MRI). It can imitate other forms of cancer but can be singled out by carrying out a pathological test.
It is extremely vital that people with a history of long periods of exposure to asbestos should present themselves for regular screening to enable their doctors detect the condition early for better prognosis and survival rate.
The progression of the disease is very slow and one can even succumb to other ailments without knowing that he or she had mesothelioma. If you know that you have been exposed to asbestos for more than twenty years then you need to get tested for the disease. The first symptoms include falling short of breath at the slightest exertion or when sleeping. This is brought about by pleural effusion which is an excessive collection of fluid in between the lungs and the chest cavity.
The other symptom is persistent cough usually dry accompanied by small episodes of breathlessness. The fluid constricts the air supply to the lungs and the cough is a reaction of the body trying to decongest the lungs. The heart may also be affected and you can possibly feel the fluid inside the chest cavity.
Chest pains are also symptoms to watch out for. When the cough becomes persistent you are likely to start feeling pain when coughing. The pain is usually sharp and it is during this stage of the ailment that many patients seek medical advice. Chest pains are common for extreme colds and flu but you should learn to differentiate the symptoms. People with lung cancer also experience similar symptoms.
It is also possible to have palpitations characterized by a very high heart rate. Before the disease was actually discovered, medical experts used to diagnose the condition as increased blood pressure. The reason behind the increased heart rate is the fluid collecting around the heart constricting the veins and arteries. The heart therefore had to put in extra effort to pump the required amount of blood to meet the needs of the body organs therefore resulting in an increased heart rate.
If you have a history of asbestos exposure long enough and you have any of the above symptoms then you should visit a medical institution for a checkup. Mesothelioma is diagnosed using advanced medical tests like Computer Tomography(CT) scans, X-ray and Magnetic Reasonance Imaging(MRI). It can imitate other forms of cancer but can be singled out by carrying out a pathological test.
It is extremely vital that people with a history of long periods of exposure to asbestos should present themselves for regular screening to enable their doctors detect the condition early for better prognosis and survival rate.
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