Did you know that the symptoms of asbestos-related diseases are often misdiagnosed for other illnesses? Mesothelioma cancer is often mistaken for respiratory conditions such as pneumonia, the flu, or bronchitis in patients. Without knowing your complete work and health history, your doctor might mistake a fatal, asbestos-related disease for the common cold.
If you know that you have been exposed to asbestos during your lifetime, you will want to alert your doctor and keep track of negative symptoms as they occur:
The symptoms of asbestosis include coughing and shortness of breath, and eventually chest pain within the patient. Asbestosis can develop within the body without the patient realizing it, and the condition not often recognized until the disease has developed into asbestos lung cancer or mesothelioma.
There are several different types of mesothelioma that evolve with different symptoms:
Pleural mesothelioma: Dry cough, wheezing, chest pain, shortness of breath, harsh breathing sounds
Peritoneal mesothelioma: Abdominal pain, abdominal enlargement, tenderness of the abdominal area, loss of appetite
Pericardial mesothelioma: Difficulty breathing, chest pain
Testicular mesothelioma: Lump in the testes
If you are a victim of asbestos exposure, you are at risk for developing an asbestos-related disease at some point in your lifetime. Symptoms can take years or decades to appear, so sharing your work history with your doctor sooner than later is a good idea. This will allow them to accurately assess your symptoms.
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease like asbestosis or mesothelioma, you might be entitled to compensation from those responsible for your condition, use our contact form to reach out to an experienced asbestos attorney with our firm.