What are mesothelioma symptoms and risk factors?

For a long time, asbestos was used in a variety of products like insulation, motor vehicle brakes, flooring and more. Unfortunately, dust from asbestos can settle in the stomach and lungs and eventually lead to fatal diseases such as mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma can take decades to fully manifest — in some cases, patients have shown symptoms 40 years after exposure to asbestos. While some who have been exposed to asbestos do not get mesothelioma, those with mesothelioma were invariably exposed to asbestos. The following are known risk factors: having been exposed to asbestos; living with someone who worked with asbestos; and a family history of mesothelioma.

Symptoms of mesothelioma depend on the type of mesothelioma the person has. With pleural mesothelioma, there will often be chest pain beneath the rib cage; a painful cough; feeling short of breath; discovering lumps beneath the skin of the chest; and weight loss without explanation. Peritoneal mesothelioma is in the abdomen. It is indicated by the following symptoms: pain the abdomen; swelling in the abdomen; lumps of tissue in the abdomen; and, again, weight loss without explanation.

Those who have been exposed to asbestos and know it should be concerned about any health issue that could be mesothelioma. Some people were exposed to asbestos and did not even know it. This might have been because the source of the exposure did not disclose its presence in the workplace or a residence. People who have undiagnosed mesothelioma but are experiencing the symptoms or were subjected to the risk factors must be checked for the disease. For those who already have it, seeking legal help to hold those accountable for the asbestos exposure can be beneficial to filing a case to be compensated. This can help the victim receive care and compensate the family members who are affected by a loved one’s illness and death from mesothelioma.

Source: mayoclinic.org, “Mesothelioma — Risk Factors,” accessed on Feb. 28, 2017