Symptoms of lymphoma
Lymphoma - What is it?
There are 2 general types of lymphoma - Hodgkins lymphoma and non-Hodgkins lymphoma. Lymphoma is basically a cancer of the lymphocytes (white blood cells) in the body. What happens is the body starts to produce 'abnormal' lymphocytes and these cells either outlive normal lymphocytes or reproduce at a faster rate than normal lymphocytes. Lymphocytes are present in the blood and in various 'storage'/'production' sites in the body, namely the spleen, the lymph nodes, bone marrow are the main ones.
Symptoms of Lymphoma - How can you tell
The problem with lymphoma is often the symptoms are hard to distinguish from less life threatening diseases like coughs or colds. The most common symptoms of lymphoma are :
- lymph node swellings - commonly under the arms or on the neck
- cold chills, sweating at night
- fever
- weight loss
- itching
- lethargy
Because there is often no pain, people tend to put it off as a general unwellness or not eating right etc...That's okay if it lasts for a couple of days but if the symptoms persist, it's best to see your doctor to confirm that the symptoms are not caused by something like lymphoma.
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Symptoms lymphoma