3. Shortness of Breath: The Invisible Stranglehold
Let’s talk about a symptom that creeps in so subtly that you may not even realize it’s happening—shortness of breath. At first glance, it seems like an innocuous issue. You could easily blame it on a hard day at work or the anxiety that life often brings. But with a Solitary Fibrous Tumor affecting the pleura, this isn’t your average panting after a sprint.
How does this happen? An SFT can press against your lung, restricting its ability to fully expand. Imagine inflating a balloon but being stopped halfway. That’s your lung, unable to take in the amount of air it’s designed for. And when your lung can’t perform at its best, you’re left gasping, not from physical exertion but from the mere act of living.
It’s easy to overlook the initial episodes. Maybe it happened while climbing a flight of stairs, and you thought, “Wow, I’m really out of shape.” Then it occurs while you’re sitting at your desk, barely moving. You find yourself taking deep, labored breaths, hoping to catch the elusive air that your body so desperately needs but can’t seem to get enough of.(3)
