Early symptoms and exercise for patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma

Once you have nasopharyngeal cancer, you must seek timely treatment, especially for the early stages of nasopharyngeal cancer. The treatment effect will be better in the early stages, and the harm to the body will be relatively smaller. So what are the symptoms of early nasopharyngeal cancer, and what are the appropriate exercises in the early stages?

Early symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma:

1. Bloody nose or epistaxis Retractile bloody nose is one of the early symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Because the tumor grows in the nasopharyngeal cavity, when the nasal or nasopharyngeal secretions are sucked back, friction occurs, and even epistaxis may occur. This symptom is more common in patients with ulcers or cauliflower-shaped lesions.

2. Tinnitus, hearing loss, and a stuffy feeling in the ear are among the early symptoms of nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Because the tumor infiltrates and compresses the Eustachian tube, negative pressure is formed in the tympanic cavity, resulting in tinnitus or hearing loss, a stuffy feeling in the ear, and other otitis media.

3. Nasal congestion is often caused by a unilateral tumor blocking the posterior nostril. Tumors located on the anterior wall of the nasopharynx are more likely to cause it.

4. Headache is mostly persistent pain in one side of the temporal, parietal or occipital area, which is often caused by cranial nerve damage or skull base bone destruction, or local inflammatory infection of the nasopharynx or neurovascular reflex disturbance.

Signs of nasopharyngeal carcinoma: 1. Swollen cervical lymph nodes. The tumor metastasizes to the cervical lymph nodes, with an incidence rate of up to 79.37%. Metastasis can occur unilaterally or bilaterally. The swollen lymph nodes in the neck are painless, hard, and movable in the early stage. In the late stage, they adhere to the skin or deep tissues and become fixed.

2. Eye symptoms If the tumor invades the orbit or eye-related nerves, visual impairment or even blindness, visual field loss, diplopia, protrusion of the eyeball and limited movement, neuroparalytic keratitis, etc. may occur. Optic nerve atrophy and edema can be seen in fundus examination. These manifestations are mostly in the late stage, but some patients still seek medical treatment for this symptom.

3. Symptoms of cranial nerve damage As nasopharyngeal carcinoma infiltrates the surrounding areas, any cranial nerve compression will cause corresponding symptoms and signs. However, the trigeminal nerve, abducens nerve, glossopharyngeal nerve, and hypoglossal nerve are more affected, while the facial nerve, olfactory nerve, and auditory nerve are less affected.

4. Distant metastasis: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma can metastasize to various parts of the body, but is most common in bones, lungs, and liver. Metastasis can occur to multiple organs at the same time. Different manifestations will occur depending on the location of the metastasis.

5. Symptoms of terminal cachexia, which may lead to death, or sudden massive bleeding.

Patients with nasopharyngeal cancer should not worry too much. Poor physical condition can be slowly recuperated. Whether after treatment or in the recovery period, patients with nasopharyngeal cancer can do some exercise appropriately, but the amount of exercise should not be too large, and it should be light, gentle and slow. And exercise should be integrated into daily life habits. Patients with nasopharyngeal cancer can go outdoors more often, choose places with good air quality and good environment, take 20 to 30 deep breaths, and move their hands, feet and waist. Rub the chest and back when taking a bath. Rub the abdomen in the morning and evening, and wash the face with cold water.