Mesothelioma: Symptoms

Early Symptoms
The usual first symptoms of mesothelioma are quick breathing, cough and chest pain. There may not be any symptom at all making diagnosis of the disease difficult. Accumulation of fluid in the pleura on the chest wall, diaphragm and lungs known as pleural effusion revealed by an X-ray of the chest is the most common symptom of mesothelioma. Dyspnea or shortness of breath increases with the increased volume of pleural effusion that brings along pain also. The cough is normally dry and the breathing sounds are low when listened to with a stethoscope. The chest wall when tapped gives a dull sound.

Common Symptoms
Common symptoms observed in mesothelioma patients are shortness of breath, pain, exhaustion, loss of appetite, dry mouth, skin and gastrointestinal problems and stress or depression. Such symptoms not being typical make diagnosis difficult and often are misdiagnosed as similar symptoms occur in viral pneumonia also. As mesothelioma progresses, other symptoms like blood with cough, cracked voice, swallowing difficulties and easy fatigue may be observed in mesothelioma patients.

Fatigue & Sleep Disorders
Most mesothelioma patients suffer from fatigue and irregular sleeping. While this is caused by stress and anxiety, it may also result from chemotherapy. The feeling of exhaustion in mesothelioma patients is far more in degree than normal weariness and the patient cannot even perform the normal day to day activities. This fatigue does not go away with rest and the overpowering weakness makes living difficult for mesothelioma patients. Chemotherapy may be a causal factor since this treatment destroys along with the cancerous cells the healthy red blood corpuscles in the body leading to anemia. The extreme weakness follows as a consequence of anemia in mesothelioma patients. The insomnia the mesothelioma patients suffer from may either be caused by the growth of the cancer or by the therapy used to treat the disease and makes the patient easily irritable and depressed.