You Don’t Have Mesothelioma! But You Have Something Else

You don’t feel right, so you search the internet for what may cause your symptoms. Mesothelioma may come up, but it’s a very rare condition. If you have its symptoms, you probably have something else. The only way to find out for sure is to see your physician to get a diagnosis of what’s affecting you.

There were about two million cancer diagnoses in the US, according to the American Cancer Society, including about 3,000 diagnoses of mesothelioma. That compares to an average of about 5,400 new cases of all cancer types each day.

While the number of Americans diagnosed with cancer annually is about the same as the population of Houston, Texas, the Louisville Palace venue’s 2,800 seats could nearly accommodate all those diagnosed with mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a fatal disease. You should be concerned if you have its symptoms plus a history of asbestos exposure, but don’t panic. Here are some conditions that share symptoms with pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma.

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)

This chronic lung disease makes breathing difficult. The two main types are the following:

Bronchitis: Increased mucus production and inflammation in the lung’s airways
Emphysema: Damage and enlargement of the lung’s air sacs

Most of those with COPD have both, though one type is more dominant than the other. Symptoms don’t usually present until the disease’s later stages. Some shared symptoms with pleural mesothelioma include the following:

Chronic coughing
Wheezing
Shortness of breath
Tightness or pain in the chest
Fatigue

Other symptoms include blue lips or fingernail beds, respiratory infections, and mucus production. The most common COPD cause is smoking, though exposure to chemical fumes and pollution can also lead to it. COPD is incurable but treatable, and those with it may live for many years after diagnosis.

Asthma

Asthma is another chronic lung disease causing increased mucus production and airway inflammation. It’s usually diagnosed earlier in a person’s life and is associated with allergies. It’s an autoimmune disorder where one’s immune system over-responds to harmless substances in the lungs.

Asthma is also incurable but controllable with medication and therapy. Some children dealing with asthma may grow out of it as adults. Symptoms in common with pleural mesothelioma include the following:

Wheezing
Coughing
Shortness of breath

Asthma’s symptoms may be continuous or come and go. Attacks may start with stress, exercise, or exposure to an allergen or industrial dust.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

IBD includes two conditions that involve chronic inflammation:

Ulcerative colitis affects the colon and rectum. Inflammation affects the colon’s innermost layer
Crohn’s disease may impact any part of the gastrointestinal tract but commonly impacts the small intestine before the colon. Inflammation caused by the condition can affect multiple layers of the gastrointestinal tract’s walls

Symptoms in common with peritoneal mesothelioma include the following:

Fatigue
Abdominal pain
Unexplained weight loss
Persistent diarrhea

Peritoneal mesothelioma may be misdiagnosed as IBD because of common symptoms, and tumors showing up on MRIs and CT scans may be misinterpreted as inflammation.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

This disorder affecting the large intestine is common. It’s estimated that about 5% to 10% of the world’s population has IBS. Symptoms shared with peritoneal mesothelioma include the following:

Changed bowel habits
Abdominal pain
Diarrhea or constipation (or both)

Diet changes, and medications for diarrhea or constipation often treat the condition. If symptoms persist, the cause may be IBD or cancer.

Celiac Disease

This a severe autoimmune disorder where the body’s overreaction to ingesting gluten (a protein in grains) damages the small intestine, making it difficult for the body to digest essential nutrients. Symptoms shared with peritoneal mesothelioma include the following:

Diarrhea
Constipation
Abdominal pain
Fatigue
Weight loss
Anemia

The only “treatment” is a gluten-free diet. Most people with the condition don’t know they have it. Celiac disease can be detected through blood tests.

Call Us Today for A Free Consultation

If you have symptoms of pleural or peritoneal mesothelioma and have been exposed to asbestos in the past, see your doctor and find the cause. It’s probably not mesothelioma, but if it is, Satterley & Kelley, PLLC, can work with you to obtain compensation for what you’re going through.

To talk about your situation and how Satterley & Kelley, PLLC can help, call our Louisville office toll-free at 855-385-9532 or complete our contact form to schedule a free initial consultation.