It’s important to know everything that you can about the symptoms of asbestos attorney mesothelioma in case you or someone you know has suffered from exposure to asbestos. This is a cancer that attacks healthy membranes over important organs like the lungs, heart and the abdominal lining. If it goes undetected, it can turn into a fatal disease.

Mesothelioma is caused by asbestos exposure, which can be prevented by using protective equipment. Asbestos is odorless and colorless when airborne, and can stick to hair and skin, making it possible for a single garment to contaminate a whole household just through the laundry. Unfortunately, no one paid much attention to this disease until the 1960s, when many people in the mining field started developing lung cancer.

The disease is classified according to the body organ affected and the symptoms of mesothelioma vary accordingly: Pleural mesothelioma - membranes of the lungs; Peritoneal mesothelioma - membranes protecting the abdominal cavity; and Pericardial mesothelioma - membranes in the heart area.

Some symptoms of mesothelioma include difficulty breathing, rapid weight loss and chest pain, and they can look like IBS, heart abnormalities, or viral pneumonia. A CT scan, chest x-ray or biopsy of tissues is require to confirm mesothelioma. Knowing the warning signs can help you get the right diagnostic tests performed in time.

Currently, we have no cure for mesothelioma. Radical surgery to remove small tumors before they spread can be effective, but chemotherapy and radiation, while capable of destroying cancer cells and shrinking tumors, are often dangerous since they can damage healthy tissue. Pain management measures are common, but don’t slow down the progress of mesothelioma. For many people, once diagnosed, it is already too late.

Symptoms of mesothelioma in the lungs are easily confused with pneumonia and other lung infections, since fever, muscle weakness, coughing and sweating are common symptoms. If treatment of mesothelioma with medication fails to cure the problem and rapid weight loss occurs, pay attention to see if you’re suffering from facial or arm swelling, pain on one side of your chest, pain in the lower back or shortness of breath. Containment of this disease is important, since it can lead to lung failure or death.

Peritoneal mesothelioma symptoms may look a great deal like other ailments. If you suffer from bowel obstruction, a swollen belly, or stomach pains, are anemic or have blood clotting problems, lose a great deal of weight or suffer from nausea and vomiting, you and your doctor need to look into this possibility.

The symptoms of mesothelioma of the heart may include palpitations, chest pains, persistent dry cough, an irregular heartbeat and shortness of breath. This is one of the worst forms of mesothelioma, and is quite rare, but is usually deadly.

If you suspect that you or someone else you know is suffering from mesothelioma, get a medical evaluation quickly. If there has been no asbestos exposure, there’s no much to worry about, but if you see the symptoms of mesothelioma, you need to find out if there’s a problem right away.