Symptoms of aspiration bleeding in nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma is one of the most common tumors in my country, and ranks first in the incidence of head and neck malignant tumors. The age of onset of nasopharyngeal carcinoma is mostly between 40 and 60 years old, and it is more common in men than in women. Its main manifestations are: blood in the snot or bloody nose, which is caused by the rupture of the tumor surface. The amount of bleeding is generally not much, and it is more common in the morning when getting up.

Because the bleeding is small and sometimes absent, it is often ignored by patients or mistakenly treated as respiratory inflammation. The disease can also cause ear symptoms, such as tinnitus, hearing loss, ear obstruction, or tympanic effusion. When the amount of nasal bleeding is large, the disease has often entered the late stage. At this time, nasal congestion, neck lumps (cervical lymph node metastasis), headaches, etc. may occur, and cranial nerve symptoms may also occur, such as blurred vision, ptosis, and even fixed eyeballs or blindness.

The cause of nasopharyngeal carcinoma has not yet been fully understood. It may be related to genetic factors, Epstein-Barr virus infection and various chemical substances (polycyclic hydrocarbons, nitrosamines, trace element nickel, etc.).

To prevent nasopharyngeal cancer, first of all, eat less or no foods containing nitrosamines, such as pickled salted fish, pickled cabbage, bacon and certain canned foods containing nitrosamines. According to relevant data, children under the age of 10 who often eat salted fish will significantly increase their risk of nasopharyngeal cancer. Secondly, people over 40 should pay attention to the examination of the nasopharynx during physical examinations. In addition, actively participate in sports to enhance their ability to resist diseases.

Due to the hidden location of the nasopharynx and the complex early symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, it is easy to be missed or misdiagnosed. Therefore, people should be vigilant, pay attention to early clinical symptoms, and try to achieve early detection, early diagnosis, and early treatment.