Signs and Symptoms of Lymphoma
Lymphoma is a particular type of cancer that attacks the immune-fighting cells of the body, called the lymphocytes. It is a painful condition that needs to be treated at the earliest, since otherwise it can be fatal. There are some specific signs and symptoms of lymphoma that you should know about to be help get the cancer diagnosed at the very early stages.
- Swollen lymph nodes
This is among the most prevalent signs and symptoms of lymphoma. The affected person will experience the growth of one or multiple lumps in the neck, armpit, or groin area. Initially, these lumps are painless, and they are actually the swollen lymph nodes inside the body showing up on the skin. Not all lumps are lymph nodes, so it is best to get them examined. - Fatigue
The painless lumps, when accompanied by other signs and symptoms of lymphoma such as fatigue, are mostly found to be the cancerous growths associated with the disease. Fatigue implies that the patient will feel tired and exhausted for no obvious reasons. He/she will tend to feel washed out after doing very little. The fatigue that is caused by lymphoma is a lot more overwhelming than just normal tiredness. The only way to feel better is by resting or sleeping constantly, which then affects daily life. - Excessive weight loss
Again, not all instances of weight loss are a sign of lymphoma, but if you lose a lot of weight in a very short span of time, then the chances of being affected by this blood cancer are very high. This weight loss occurs because of the loss of immunity as a result of the white blood cells in the body losing their ability to fight and protect the body. - Sweats
Sweating is a common symptom of lymphoma that most patients experience even at the earliest stages of cancer. The person will typically have night sweats so much that his/her clothes and bed sheets can turn wet. This sweat is often described as drenching. Night sweats can happen during the day too, and they happen in all types of lymphoma. - Itching
The itching of the different parts of your body that is triggered by lymphoma is very specific. This type of itching is called pruritus and it usually occurs without the presence of a rash or anything. The symptom can be extremely troublesome, especially in hot weather. Also, unlike itching caused by rashes or other skin diseases, this one will be difficult to treat or cure by applying normal anti-inflammatory ointments and so on.
While these are the most common signs and symptoms of lymphoma, an affected person can experience one or all of these symptoms. As with all the other types of cancers, the only way to reduce the pain is to get it medically treated at the earliest possible time.