How to distinguish nasopharyngitis from nasopharyngeal carcinoma

How to distinguish nasopharyngeal inflammation from nasopharyngeal cancer? What is the difference between the early symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer and rhinitis? Is nasopharyngeal cancer caused by rhinitis? These are issues that nasopharyngeal cancer patients are more worried about. So, is there any connection between nasopharyngeal cancer and rhinitis? Let's continue reading.

Common symptoms of nasopharyngitis

1. Nasopharyngitis is an inflammation caused by the invasion of viruses and bacteria in the nasopharynx. Examination can reveal edema, hypertrophy, and hyperplasia of the nasopharyngeal mucosa, accompanied by secretions.

2. Patients often experience clinical symptoms such as nasal congestion, sneezing, clear (purulent) nasal discharge, itchy nasopharynx, dry cough pain with foreign body sensation, dyspnea, dizziness, headache, fatigue, loss of smell, and memory loss. Nasopharyngitis can easily cause a variety of discomfort symptoms when it occurs, but many people ignore the dangers and think that if there are no unbearable acute symptoms or fatal symptoms, there is no need to go to the hospital for formal treatment. Many patients with nasopharyngitis have a history of illness for more than five years. It is better to treat nasopharyngitis as soon as possible after suffering from nasopharyngitis. Nasopharyngitis will not heal on its own. Early treatment will relieve the pain and reduce the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer.

3. Dizziness, headache, and general fatigue: Friends with severe nasopharyngeal inflammation should pay attention.

4. Burning and dry throat: Patients may also experience a burning sensation in the throat, usually accompanied by dryness. Sometimes there may even be a dull pain. These symptoms are particularly evident when the patient talks and sings more, but they can be slightly alleviated after a period of rest.

Common symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer

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

2. Tinnitus and hearing: A feeling of blockage in the ear. When nasopharyngeal cancer occurs in the lateral wall of the nasopharynx, the lateral fossa or the upper lip of the Eustachian tube opening, the tumor compresses the Eustachian tube and may cause unilateral tinnitus or hearing loss. Catarrhal otitis media may also occur. Unilateral tinnitus or hearing loss and a feeling of blockage in the ear are one of the symptoms of early nasopharyngeal cancer.

3. Continuous headache: It is a common symptom of early nasopharyngeal cancer, accounting for 68.6%. It can be the first symptom or the only symptom. In the early stage, the headache location is not fixed and intermittent, while in the late stage, it is a continuous migraine with a fixed location. The cause may be caused by neurovascular reflex or stimulation of the first branch of the trigeminal nerve in early patients, and in late patients, it is often caused by tumors destroying the skull base and spreading inside the skull to affect the cranial nerves.

Eighty percent of nasopharyngeal cancer patients in the world are concentrated in China, and about 90% of nasopharyngeal cancer is caused by long-term treatment of rhinitis. At present, with the accelerated pace of work and study, rhinitis patients are gradually getting younger. Adults will suffer from headaches, unclear minds, drowsiness, and low work efficiency due to rhinitis; while teenagers will lose their concentration due to symptoms such as nasal congestion and headaches caused by rhinitis, and their memory and academic performance will decline significantly.

In addition, symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer caused by rhinitis include nasal congestion and difficulty breathing due to long-term nasal congestion, which can cause sleep apnea syndrome; the patient's inferior turbinate is enlarged and lacks oxygen during sleep, which in severe cases can cause cerebral infarction, high blood pressure, sudden heart attack, etc. Some patients may even die suddenly at night.

What are the symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer?

Nasal congestion:

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

Tears of blood:

Blood in the nose is another early symptom of nasopharyngeal carcinoma, which is manifested as blood in the nasal discharge or blood in the nasal discharge 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.

Tinnitus, 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.

4. 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.

5. Swollen lymph nodes in the neck:

Many nasopharyngeal cancer patients often seek medical treatment because they accidentally touch a "lump" on their neck. This "lump" is actually an enlarged lymph node. The swollen lymph nodes in the neck of early 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 treatment in time.