For a naturally occurring fibrous mineral, asbestos certainly has a bad reputation. Asbestos fibers, if inhaled and embedded in the lungs, could cause serious diseases down the road.
A fearsome possible outcome is mesothelioma. It’s a rare, aggressive, and lethal cancer that largely affects the abdomen and chest lining. Asbestos exposure is the primary cause of this cancer; around 3,000 new cases are diagnosed annually, and the life expectancy post-diagnosis can be as short as one-third of a year.
Certain careers can increase the risk of asbestos exposure. Such occupations include construction workers, electricians, miners, military workers, bricklayers, engineers, sheet metal workers, mechanics, plumbers, drywallers, firefighters, and many more. While people in these careers can face higher risks of asbestos exposure, so can the people they live and associate with.
If someone works in an environment with asbestos and releases asbestos fibers into the home environment via their clothes, other people can breathe in the harmful asbestos fibers. So, second-hand asbestos exposure is possible and can lead to tragic results.
One reason for the short life expectancy post-diagnosis is that the disease is usually very advanced by the time it’s discovered. In fact, it can take several decades for someone to exhibit symptoms of mesothelioma. And by then, there’s usually little doctors can do.
That’s one reason to know some of the symptoms of the four types of mesothelioma.
Considering that most cases of mesothelioma cases stem from asbestos exposure, here are some things about asbestos symptoms you ought to know about.
Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma occurs in the tissue covering the chest wall and lungs. There are various symptoms of this type of mesothelioma. They include coughing, aching lower back or chest, weight loss, hoarseness, sweating, difficulty swallowing, shortness of breath, fatigue, and more.
The problem with these symptoms is they could be symptoms of many different health conditions — and not all of them are serious. So, it’s no wonder some people don’t take these symptoms seriously. It’s also a reason to make regular healthcare visits and check-ups a priority.
According to one source, pleural mesothelioma is the most common type of the disease. It notes that around eight out of 10 mesothelioma cases are of the pleural variety.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma adversely impacts the membrane lining the organs and abdominal cavity. Symptoms include weight loss, blockage of the colon or small intestine, swelling of the abdomen, constipation, and more.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma is another kind of this rare and aggressive cancer. It adversely impacts the heart lining and — according to some sources — accounts for south of 1% of all mesothelioma cases. People who get the disease are usually between 50 and 70 years old.
As for symptoms, they include shortness of breath, chest pain, and fatigue. Radiation therapy is rare since the risk goes up when the treatment is done near the heart. Otherwise, there’s no specific treatment for the disease. The survival rate post-diagnosis is a mere two to six months.
Testicular Mesothelioma
Testicular mesothelioma is another rare type of mesothelioma. It accounts for less than 1% of all mesothelioma cases. One symptom of testicular mesothelioma is an enlarged scrotum.
Radiation or chemotherapy are options to treat this disease. One study shows the five-year survival rate among a group of 113 patients was 49%.
As you can see when looking at these four kinds of mesothelioma, some of the symptoms could be indicative of other conditions. It’s also worth stressing that mesothelioma diagnoses are usually made when the cancer has reached an advanced stage. By then, treatment options are more limited than if the disease were caught earlier.
While you don’t want to be paranoid, see your doctor regularly and report any symptoms that might warrant a closer look.
