Symptoms of Pleural Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma shares many symptoms that other diseases
may have so it can be impossible to determine if you
have mesothelioma by the symptoms alone. You may not
even have any symptoms at all for as long as 50 years
after initial exposure to asbestos.
The early symptoms are non-specific so you might not
get diagnosed correctly for years. The symptoms can be
very similar to viral pneumonia if you have pleural
mesothelioma and can include shortness of breath,
chest pains and a cough that just doesnt seem to go
away.
One of the more common symptoms of pleural
mesothelioma is something called pleural effusion.
This occurs when fluid builds up between the inner and
outer linings of the lungs.
These linings always produce a little bit of fluid so
your lungs slide along the inside of your chest
smoothly but if too much fluid is being produced,
complications can arise. When this is happening, you
will have a dry cough, chest pains, and shortness of
breath. An X-ray can be used to detect pleural
effusion.
To determine if this is happening, you will have to
have a biopsy after your initial scans. The biopsy
lets a pathologist get a good look at what cells are
there and what they are doing.
After you are sure you have mesothelioma, your doctor
can discuss the varied treatment options that are
available and you can decide on the one that sounds
the best for your situation. You may be entitled to
damages if a company you worked for has been involved
in a lawsuit relating to your situation.