Mysterious Symptom

Mesothelioma diagnosis is one of the rarer kinds of diagnosis when doctors try to infer for cancer in the lungs.  However, when this diagnosis is confirmed, much preparation needs to be done immediately to give the patient a good chance of getting over this condition.  Although the rarity of the disease is a good reason for the lack of education on the part of patients, it is important that we understand the symptoms to complement what we learn with mesothelioma diagnosis.

There are typical mesothelioma symptoms based on the stage of advancement of the disease.   In its early stages, the patient may present conditions like chest pains, persistent cough, or shortness of breath, although some patients do not show symptoms at all.  These general and non-specific symptoms are the reason why it is hard to catch and diagnose mesothelioma as the disease advances. 

Mesothelioma symptoms also differ depending on the type of mesothelioma the patient has.  Pleural mesothelioma carries less common symptoms like night sweats, fever, and weight loss.  On the other hand, peritoneal mesothelioma has less common symptoms like pain or swelling in the abdomen, fluid build-up, weight loss, anemia, swelling of the feet, and bowel obstruction.  While all these symptoms may show up in a suspecting patient, only the doctor can know for sure after subjecting you to medical tests for a definitive mesothelioma diagnosis.

A common symptom in mesothelioma is pleural effusion.  This is a result of the accumulation of fluid found in your parietal pleura – a tissue that covers the chest wall and the diaphragm.  Pleural effusion can also happen in the visceral pleura which is the wall that covers the lungs.  These vessels or membranes are covered mesothelial cells, which produce fluid to lubricate the lung tissue and the chest wall.  If excessive fluids accumulate in these parts, the blood and lymph vessels absorb the fluid to maintain balance.  However, too much fluid can result in abnormality, which becomes one of the symptoms of mesothelioma.

Pleural effusion is a definite initial manifestation of mesothelioma symptoms.  As the fluid in the pleura increases, the patient will experience shortness of breath and chest pains sensation similar to mild stabbing.  In addition, persistent dry cough is a possible result of pleural effusion.  Doctors will start with mesothelioma diagnosis by performing acoustic tests with the use of stethoscope.  A patient with mesothelioma will have normal breath sounds muted when under the stethoscope.  From these observations, the doctor will perform tests to ensure they have a definitive mesothelioma diagnosis.