Symptoms Of Lymphoma: First Signs When You Might Be Having Lymphoma
Last Updated: Jun 19, 2020
A type of cancer that affects the infection-fighting cells of the immune system in the human body is known as Lymphoma. The infection-fighting cells are present in the bone marrow, lymph nodes, spleen and thymus. When you have lymphoma, these cells alter and begins to grow out of control. Symptoms of Lymphoma are:
Fatigue
When a person feels exhausted without any specific reason or he/she is feeling drained out after doing very little activity, the condition is described by the term fatigue. Fatigue does not go away just by sleeping or taking rest. One of the most common symptoms of lymphoma can be persistent fatigue.
Fever
When the temperature of the body rises above the normal temperature of the body then this condition is known as fever. One of the symptoms of lymphoma is fever because a chemical is produced by the lymphoma cells which result in the increase in the temperature of the body.
A person suffering from lymphoma might only experience mild fever which can also be described as low-grade fever. A doctor must be consulted immediately if there is a fever for more than 2 weeks without any infection.
Night sweats
If a person suffers from night sweats then it does not necessarily mean he/she is suffering from lymphoma. Viral infections, menopause, some medicines, and anxiety can also cause night sweats. One of the possible reasons for night sweat is a rise in the temperature of the body above the natural limit.
Doctors believe that night sweats can be caused due to some of the chemicals which are being produced by the cells of the lymphoma. The severity of the night sweats can be determined by the fact that a person suffering from lymphoma not just wet his own clothes out of sweating but also the bedsheets. This condition usually occurs with any kind of lymphoma.
To help a person cope with night sweats, there are certain things which can be done but an opinion from a doctor must be taken.
Shortness of breath
Another sign of a person suffering from lymphoma can be shortness of breath. When the lymph nodes develop in the chest or in the thymus, they exert pressure on the windpipe which is also known as trachea. Due to exertion of pressure, a person can have trouble in breathing, feel pressure on the chest, as well as coughing.
Unexplained weight loss
This can be a symptom of lymphoma however, it can also be caused by other conditions as well. For those suffering from lymphoma, weight loss occurs due to energy being used up the cancer cells. Also, the body utilizes the energy to get rid of the cancerous cells.
Feeling full after only a small amount of food
Lymphomas can cause swelling or pain in the abdomen if they grow in the belly. It could be wither due to the accumulation of fluids in large amount or due to lymph nodes on other organs like spleen or liver. When the spleen gets enlarged, it exerts pressure on the stomach which leads to reduced appetite in a person. This is the reason why a person might feel full after eating a small meal.
Easy bruising or bleeding
Those who suffer from the condition of lymphoma get easily bruised and bleeding also starts very easily. It is one of the most common signs of lymphoma being present in the body of a person. Hence, one should be very careful as just a small injury can lead to bigger complications.
Severe or frequent infections
If a person is suffering from lymphoma, it indicates that the immune system of that person is not functioning properly. It is the role of the white blood cells to fight infections however, if a person has lymphoma then cancerous white blood cells are produced in place of healthy cells.
This results in a person getting infected very easily. The duration of the infection can be long-lasting and severe. Due to infections, a person might also suffer from fever. A doctor must be consulted immediately to get relief from the infection.
References
- Lymphoma- Mayo Clinic [Internet]. mayoclinic.org 2019. [Cited 06 April 2020]. Available from:
- Symptoms of lymphoma- Lymphoma Action [Internet]. lymphoma-action.org.uk 2020 [Cited 06 April 2020]. Available from:
- Lymphoma, The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, The Johns Hopkins University, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Johns Hopkins Health System [Internet]. hopkinsmedicine.org [Cited 06 April 2020]. Available from:
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