Symptom 7: Difficulty Swallowing
The act of swallowing, while simple in appearance, is a complex orchestration of muscles and nerves. When mesothelioma patients experience difficulty in this seemingly straightforward task, it’s more than just a mere inconvenience. The interplay between the tumor’s growth and the surrounding structures in the chest can often hinder the normal swallowing process. This can lead to discomfort and a decline in nutritional intake, affecting the patient’s overall well-being.
Mesothelioma’s propensity to develop around the lungs and chest cavity means that as it grows, it can press against the esophagus, the tube responsible for carrying food from the mouth to the stomach. This pressure, coupled with potential nerve involvement, can create a sensation of food being stuck or an outright difficulty in swallowing, medically termed dysphagia.
Dysphagia, over time, can lead to significant complications. The obvious one is a decrease in food and fluid intake, leading to malnutrition and dehydration. Additionally, the persistent struggle to swallow might cause patients to avoid eating, resulting in unintentional weight loss, a further decline in their health. It’s also not uncommon for food to accidentally enter the airways, potentially leading to aspiration pneumonia, a severe lung infection. (7)
