Heartburn, also known as pyrosis,cardialgia, or acid indigestionis a burning sensation in the chest, just behind the breastbone or in the epigastrium, the upper central abdomen.The pain often rises in the chest and may radiate to the neck, throat, or angle of the jaw.
Heartburn is usually associated with regurgitation of gastric acid (gastric reflux) which is the major symptom of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD).It may also be a symptom of ischemic heart disease, though this is true for only 0.6% of those experiencing heartburn
The Symptoms and Diagnosis of Asbestos Mesothelioma アスベスト中皮腫の症状と診断
The symptoms some patients experience are so slight,
that they do not think it is necessary to seek medical attention. In some cases, there may be no early symptoms experienced at all. All three types of mesothelioma: peritoneal, pericardial and pleural can be undiagnosed or missed for years, thus giving the cancer ample opportunity to metastasize to other parts of the body.
If you have experienced any of the following symptoms, not only should you seek medical attention.
Shortness of breath: Your neighbor Al always made fun of himself for being overweight, so when he began to experience shortness of breath, he thought little of it. Only when he started gasping for air as he walked the few feet from his house to his car did he realize that something was amiss.
Shortness of breath (sometimes accompanied by a heavy feeling inside of the chest) is the first symptom typically observed in mesothelioma symptoms. 90% of mesothelioma patients will experience shortness of breath, and many of them will the mistake of not seeking a doctor's advice. If you have been exposed to asbestos and you experience shortness of breath, along with heavy sensation in the chest, you should alert your doctor immediately.
Chest Pain: Aunt Sarah's husband used to work as a steamfitter in the 1950s and died recently of mesothelioma. Sarah missed him terribly, and whenever she thought of what good man he was, she experienced dull aches in her chest. She dismissed them as symptoms of a broken heart, but the aches were actually due to "an accumulation of fluid in the pleura," (National Cancer Institute) the lining around the lungs. It was a common symptom of pleural mesothelioma.
Coughing: After working thirty years as a construction worker,Harry experienced coughing fits which seemed more severe than the common cold. He tried cough syrup, but the relief it provides was only temporary. He coughed and coughed "as a reflex action to try and clear his irritated lungs of the asbestos fibers" (Mesothelioma Symptoms) but to no avail. Soon, he was spitting up saliva with an unmistakably red tint.
Weight loss: When Patrick began to drop weight without dieting or much exercise, he was initially thrilled. Within just a few months, he had dropped several pants sizes, to the pleasant surprise of everyone. No one suspected that Patrick's gradual change in size was "a symptom in about a third of all pleural mesothelioma cases in the United States." (Mesothelioma Center)
Abdominal pain and swelling:
As a youth in the 1960s, Ed was a brake mechanic. He knew more about cars and car parts than most people, and could repair a faulty vehicle with seemingly no effort. In 1997, Ed started retaining fluid in his abdomen, but his scale did not indicate any weight gain. As his abdomen swelled, his back and arms got thinner. The swelling was accompanied by abdominal pain, which Ed dismissed as a "pesky stomach virus." Week passed and the "pesky stomach virus" showed no signs of going away. Medical X-rays confirmed a far more serious ailment- peritoneal mesothelioma, caused by Ed's decades-long exposure to the asbestos lining the breaks he repaired.
Bowel obstruction: At first, Uncle Enda thought that his frequent visits to the bathroom were part of getting older. Sometimes he was able to have normal bowel movements, other times it was exceedingly difficulty. Two especially unpleasant symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are diarrhea (much like what a patient suffering from Inflammatory Bowel Disorder experiences) and constipation.
Anemia: Great- AuntSherry often felt faint. For years, her doctors believed that her fainting was due to a lifetime of low blood pressure, and they suggested that she incorporate iron rich foods into her diet, such as broccoli. But Sherry's health problems were far more serious than a mere lack of iron. After being diagnosed with mesothelioma, she underwent her first round of chemotherapy, which caused her more problems. The chemotherapy drugs "had a temporal effect on her bone marrow, and caused a reduction in red blood cells." (Mesothelioma Cancer Aid) This is a condition known as anemia, which can accompany mesothelioma.
Coughing up blood: Your son's baseball coach loved sports his entire life and wanted to share his passion for baseball with younger generations. As he entered his mid-sixties, people began to question when he would retire, but he had no such intention. One day, after a grueling practice, Aaron began to cough up blood, a process clinically known as hemoptysis. Hemoptysis is "one of the most alarming of the mesothelioma symptoms. It is sometimes accompanied by difficulty swallowing (dysphagia) as well as hoarseness."
