Asbestos symptoms consist of shortness of breath increasing over a period of time, extreme weight loss, coughing, chest pain, pneumonia, headaches, hoarseness, coughing up blood and extreme fatigue. It is easy to see that these symptoms are general enough that they could also be related to a host of illnesses. Some easily treated and others, such as cancer, which could prove to be fatal. It is critical to see your healthcare provider for a complete work out to determine the cause of your symptoms.

Asbestos Signs Symptoms

After your medical provider has confirmed your symptoms, they will most likely run a battery of mesothelioma tests to determine the exact cause of your symptoms. These medical tests can help to rule out some diseases and help to confirm others.

As you go through the process to determine the cause of your symptoms, your doctor may order specific tests to determine if you have mesothelioma. Medical test ordered by your physician may consist of x-rays, MRI, and CT scans to view the various internal organs especially the lungs, heart and abdomen. The most invasive diagnostic test used to determine if your asbestos symptoms are a result of mesothelioma is a thoracoscopy or peritoneoscopy. With these tests a small camera is inserted through a small incision in the chest or abdomen to search for potential damage and to take a small tissue sample for biopsy.

As other causes are ruled out, your healthcare provider may begin to ask you about what kind of occupation you have had in the past in order to confirm asbestos symptoms. It is these questions that could begin to open the investigation into the relating asbestos symptoms directly to asbestos exposure. If you are one of the many people exposed to asbestos, it will be important to know how long ago you believe you were exposed to asbestos and how long you believe that you worked with exposure to asbestos.

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer and is a direct result of individuals who have been exposed to asbestos. Currently there is no known cure of malignant mesothelioma.

Asbestos symptoms related to lung disease, such as shortness of breath, may take years to show up because malignant mesothelioma can lie dormant in the body for 20 to 30 years. Some victims may not even realize they have been exposed to asbestos until they develop mesothelioma decades later.

Asbestos symptoms are serious and because they mimic many other diseases and conditions, those symptoms must be evaluated by your physician in order to determine the root cause of the symptoms. Time is of the essence as mesothelioma is a disease that cannot be cured; however medical intervention can help to improve a mesothelioma patient’s quality of life and in some cases life expectancy.

Be proactive not reactive…do not ignore asbestos symptoms… you owe it to your health!

Mesothelioma is an unusual type of lung cancer, in which cancer cells are found on the sac lining of the chest medically termed as pleura, the lining of the abdominal cavity called the peritoneum or in the lining around the heart referred to as pericardium. When the cancerous cells begin to occupy the body and mass out the healthy cells, then many symptoms of mesothelioma begin to appear in an early stage. But because of the long period of time between the asbestos exposures and the development of its symptoms, it can be very complicated for a physician to diagnose mesothelioma, since early mesothelioma symptoms are not specific that may lead to a delay in diagnosis and that it could be ascribed to various common diseases.

Signs Symptoms of Mesothelioma

• Chronic chest pain
• Fever
• Breathing shortage
• Fluid build up that surround the heart
• Palpitations
• Bowel obstruction
• Anemia
• Hoarseness and swelling of the face

You should know that mesothelioma symptoms tend to develop gradually, and earlier indications are often confused for illnesses that are more agreeable to treatment. Like for instance, coughing, breathing difficulties and chest pain are often seen in lung infection such as pneumonia. In general, once symptoms are more evident, the cancer is quite complex and treatment becomes less effective already. Surgery or radiotherapy may reduce, if not all, some of the obstructive symptoms, and pain may be reduced as well. Look for a competent physician, the one who will pay attention to your history.

Symptoms of mesothelioma or other signs that you are sick are to be taken seriously because these are the body’s way of telling you that something bad is going on and you should already act immediately.

Mesothelioma is malignant, extremely aggressive and an incurable cancer that invades the membrane, or mesothelium, that surrounds most of the internal organs.

Mesothelioma Diagnosis

A mesothelioma diagnosis is a frightening one and requires immediate intervention.If you have a known previous exposure to asbestos you should alert doctor immediately to discuss your medical history. It is also beneficial to discuss any prior asbestos exposure with your doctor so that your physician knows what to look for and what test should be ordered.

Mesothelioma cancer cells lie dormant for many years and it is not uncommon for mesothelioma symptoms to appear as much as 15 to 30 years after the initial asbestos exposure. People who worked in industries such as manufacturing or construction are the ones who are at particular risk of contracting mesothelioma. With a known asbestos exposure, you should be vigilant about watching for and being familiar with mesothelioma symptoms. Routine physical exams must include a review of your medical history and a mesothelioma diagnosis must be ruled out each year that you are further removed from the asbestos exposure.

After a thorough physical exam your physician may order a procedure called thoracoscopy in order to confirm or rule out a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. With a thoracoscopy the physician makes a small incision into the chest and takes a small sample of lung tissue for biopsy. This tissue is then sent to the lab where it is studied to determine whether or not it is cancerous. Also, the doctor may use a device called peritoneoscope which looks inside the abdomen and can also be used to collect tissue samples for additional study. If these tests prove to be inconclusive, more tests will be ordered to determine if the mesothelioma symptoms are actually mesothelioma or another disease.

Mesothelioma symptoms are often ignored and can be confused with symptoms for the common cold or allergies. By the time mesothelioma symptoms manifest themselves, it is often too late; therefore if mesothelioma symptoms persist it is imperative that you seek medical treatment immediately. Mesothelioma is a deadly aggressive disease…without a current cure. It is for this reason that mesothelioma symptoms must be taken seriously.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Another challenge with a mesothelioma diagnosis is the time between the actual exposure to asbestos and the manifestation of mesothelioma can unbelievably take decades. Many symptoms of mesothelioma are common to a number of common conditions, ranging from allergies to a seasonal cold. This single fact makes a mesothelioma diagnosis all the more challenging, and often is one of the last ones that a physician looks for when performing a patient work-up.

Mesothelioma can continue to worsen even after exposure to asbestos has ended. The misdiagnosis and the delay in making a mesothelioma diagnosis are just two of the reasons mesothelioma is one of the deadliest cancers. It is an aggressive cancer to begin with and any delay in diagnosing and treatment simply gives it more time to invade and overtake healthy cells.

To determine the correct mesothelioma diagnosis doctors will order, x-rays, a magnetic resonance imagery (MRI), and computed axial tomography (CAT) scan to view the various internal organs. If the scans prove to be inconclusive then the doctor will order more elaborate tests to rule out the possibility of other diseases. The most invasive procedure requires local anesthetic and is called thoracoscopy or a peritoneoscopy.

These tests consist of a small camera being inserted through a small incision in the abdomen or chest to view potential damage to the heart and lungs. With these tests the physician can also take a small tissue sample for a biopsy. The malignancy period of mesothelioma is so prolonged that by the time symptoms are exhibited, treatment may be ineffective.

Currently following a mesothelioma diagnosis survival is four to eighteen months and most treatments focus on palliative rather than curative treatment. A mesothelioma diagnosis is not easy and many patients enter a counseling program to help deal with the sudden stress of an aggressive condition.

Even the strongest individuals are often faced with an overwhelming panic at the rapid pace that mesothelioma spreads. Emotional support is imperative for individuals facing a positive mesothelioma diagnosis.

Malignant mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, in which cancer cells are found in the pleura, the sac lining the chest, in the peritoneum, the lining of the abdominal cavity, or in the pericardium, the lining around the heart. Once the cancerous cells begin to invade the body and crowd out the healthy cells, then many of the early symptoms of mesothelioma begin to appear.

Because of the long period of time between the exposure to asbestos and the development of symptoms of mesothelioma it can be very difficult for even the most experienced physician to diagnose mesothelioma. The challenge for your physician is that the early symptoms of mesothelioma are generally non-specific and this may lead to a delay in diagnosis. The early symptoms are so general and non-specific that they could be attributed to numerous common diseases, such as pneumonia.

Some patients with pleural mesothelioma, the most common type of mesothelioma, may present to their personal physician with a persistent cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, weight loss, difficulty swallowing, swelling of the neck or face, a change in the voice, such as the development of a raspy voice, fever, night sweats or perhaps something as simple as just not feeling well. Initial work up by a physician might include a chest x-ray as well as a complete physical exam. However, it is equally as important to remember that some patients may show no symptoms of mesothelioma at all.

Peritoneal mesothelioma, one of the less common types of mesothelioma, may present with early symptoms such as loss of appetite, weight loss, nausea, vomiting, bloating or abdominal pain. This type of mesothelioma begins in the abdomen and can progress from the abdomen to other parts of the body. If the mesothelioma cancer has invade other areas outside of the abdomen, the patient can also present with difficulty breathing or chest pain demonstrating that the chest region may already be involved. Peritoneal mesothelioma patients like those with pleural mesothelioma can be very difficult to diagnose.

The least common type of mesothelioma is pericardial mesothelioma. In this type of mesothelioma cancerous cells invade the sac lining the outside of the heart and can metastasize, or spread, from there. The earliest symptoms of mesothelioma involving the pericardium include chest pain, palpitations or what is commonly described as feeling like the heart is racing, shortness of breath, and a persistent cough.

Since we know that most patients diagnosed with mesothelioma do not begin to show symptoms until decades after exposure, it is critical that a diagnosis be made as quickly as possible after symptoms appear. Tell your physician if you suspect that you were ever exposed to asbestos. This would include either working directly in an area where you might have been exposed to asbestos dust or even if you were the person handling the clothing or laundry of a family member that might have been exposed. This knowledge will allow your physician to have a more complete picture when evaluating your situation.

Symptoms of mesothelioma are symptoms that can easily be mistaken for symptoms of a less-threatening disease. Seek out a competent physician, one who will listen closely to your history and will complete a physical exam and screening based on your symptoms and your history. Listen to your body…symptoms of mesothelioma are ones that deserve to be taken seriously and deserve to be checked out completely.