Symptoms of nasal cancer

Nasal Cancer is a highly malignant and deadly disease. Its symptoms are not so specific and may resemble variety of illnesses. Therefore the majority of patients do not take them seriously and postpone going to the doctor. This type of cancer is common for African and East Asian people. In the United States less than 50 new cases are reported a year. The scientists consider that previous infection with Epstein Barr virus can be one cause of the disease. Additionally relationship between consumption of salted food and nasal cancer has been reported. Genetic predisposition is another explanation. No matter what the cause is the goal is to establish the diagnosis of nasal cancer as soon as possible and to start therapy immediately.

One of the most common symptoms of this horrible disease is enlargement of lymph nodes of the neck. This is however very poor prognostic sign as it means that the disease has already spread to lymph nodes.

Problems with breathing are obvious. The tumor may also lead to difficulties with swallowing. Nasal speech or the speech which happens mainly during the nasal infections common cold or flue is regularly present. The person cannot breathe through nose and the voice changes.

While growing tumor destructs the surrounding tissue. If blood vessels are affected by tumor growth nose bleeding occurs. In certain cases there is increased nasal discharge present.

If a tumor spreads and affects some of the facial nerves partial or total paralysis may occur. In case that tumor spread to the ear hearing loss and pain in the ear may be additional symptoms.

The tumor may grow and spread into the eye orbit. If it does those eyes become protruded and one may experience problems with vision. Double vision loss of vision and so are only variations of the progression of the disease. However this is not common for majority of patients and happens in the advanced stages of the disease.

The tumor can spread through a bases of the nasal cavity and enter the mouth. This way it will spread into the maxillary sinus or even worse penetrate within the maxillary bone and cause the upper teeth to fall out. Additionally if the tumor affects some of the muscles that are in charge with mouth opening this function can be severe damaged.

Pain is present when bones are affected. This happens due to cancer spread onto the surrounding bones and into sinuses.

So all the people who happen to experience one of the previously mentioned symptoms of nasal cancer are due to visit their doctors. They may be suffering from some other ear throat and nose diseases but still there is a slight chance that the cancer can be diagnosed on time and the treatment to start promptly.