What are the early symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma

What are the early symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma? The prevention and treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma lies in the early detection of symptoms, early diagnosis, and early treatment of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Usually, everyone should change their bad eating habits, such as not eating pickled foods and not smoking. For those living in southern provinces of my country, especially those in high-incidence areas of nasopharyngeal carcinoma such as the Pearl River Delta or those with a family history of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, regular check-ups are also an important prevention method. The earlier nasopharyngeal carcinoma is discovered, the better the prognosis; the later it is discovered, the less likely it is to be cured and the worse the prognosis. In other words, early diagnosis and early treatment can significantly improve the survival rate after treatment.

Early signs that cannot be ignored: There are many clinical manifestations of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and the following five symptoms are the main ones in the early stage. We should be vigilant about this.

1. Blood in the nose: Blood in the nose is an early symptom of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which is manifested as blood in the nasal mucus, or blood in the nasal mucus sucked back from the mouth, also known as blood in the sputum. Blood in the nose often occurs after getting up in the morning. When the amount of blood in the nose is not large, it is often neglected by patients and mistaken for rhinitis or sinusitis, or is treated as hemoptysis in the internal medicine department.

Nasal congestion: Nasal congestion is another early manifestation of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Most cases are unilateral. When the nasopharyngeal tumor grows, bilateral nasal congestion may occur.

Tinnitus and hearing loss: Tinnitus, stuffy ears and hearing loss are also early signs of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. This symptom is caused by the nasopharyngeal carcinoma neoplasm blocking the Eustachian tube opening on the affected side. Hearing loss may also be caused by further deterioration of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and damage to the auditory nerve. Tinnitus and hearing loss are often misdiagnosed as otitis media or other diseases, which delays treatment.

Headache: When nasopharyngeal carcinoma is first diagnosed, about 70% of patients have headache symptoms. The headache symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma often manifest as migraine, pain in the back of the skull or neck. Nasopharyngeal carcinoma headaches are mostly related to cancer tissue invading the skull base bones, nerves and blood vessels.

Swollen lymph nodes in the neck: Many nasopharyngeal cancer patients often seek medical attention because they accidentally feel a "lump" on their neck. This "lump" is actually a swollen lymph node. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck of nasopharyngeal cancer patients are often misdiagnosed as inflammation. For neck lumps that do not shrink after anti-inflammatory treatment or even continue to grow rapidly, especially those that are hard, have poor mobility, and are fused together into a mass without pain, you need to seek medical attention in time.