Knowing the Symptoms of Lymphoma

The month of September each year is designated as Blood Cancer Awareness Month. One type of blood cancer is lymphoma where the cancerous cells begin the lymphatic system of the body – the areas that are key in the germ-fighting abilities of a person’s body. The lymphatic system is comprised of several areas of the body – the bone marrow, the lymph nodes, the spleen, and the thymus gland. When a form of cancer has a month designated as its awareness month, it brings up the opportunity to learn more about the disease, its symptoms, and how to prevent it. You can use this month to talk about a subject your loved one may not want to discuss and having senior home care providers available can help them.

While many people think of blood cancer as something that mainly affects the young, some types of lymphoma are common for the elderly as well, and especially if your loved one has battled an autoimmune disease or you have a family history of blood cancer, it’s wise to learn the symptoms, share that knowledge with any senior home care providers you have, and remind your loved one to report any symptoms he may develop.

The most common type of lymphoma that affects the elderly are Hodgkin Lymphoma and Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. While Hodgkin Lymphoma can attack both young and old alike, Non-Hodgkin usually is most likely to develop in men between the ages of 60-80.

For many people who develop symptoms, they don’t mention it to their family or senior home care providers because the early symptoms often mimic other symptoms of less serious diseases. On the flip side, if your loved one does have any of these symptoms, he shouldn’t panic because most likely, it is a symptom of something much less serious. A good communication system and then getting examined by a physician is the best course of action to determine if your loved one has lymphoma or something else going on with his body.

Here are some common symptoms of lymphoma.

Senior Home Care Ocala FL – Knowing the Symptoms of Lymphoma

A long-lasting fever: your loved one has a fever of 103 or above without any other known causes that doesn’t go away.

Extreme exhaustion: your loved one is persistently tired regardless of how much sleep he gets. He may even turn down events he’d like to attend with his senior home care provider because he’s just too tired.

Swelling of lymph nodes: your loved one might complain about swelling under his arms, in his groin area, or on the sides of his neck. The lymph nodes are located in these areas and may swell when lymphoma is present.

Heavy night sweats: your loved one wakes up completely drenched from a night sweats where his pajamas and sheets are wet.

Unexplained weight loss: you or your senior home care provider have noticed a drop in your loved one’s weight by 10 percent or more without him attempting to lose weight.

An awareness of this somewhat rare disease can help your loved one be alert to symptoms that he shouldn’t ignore if they begin.

If you or an aging loved one are considering Senior Home Care Services in Ocala FL please contact the caring staff at Touching Hearts at Home Ocala & The Villages, FL today. Call 352-414-5316

Touching Hearts at Home Ocala & The Villages, FL is a Trusted Home Care Agency serving Ocala, The Villages, Dunnellon, Belleview, Top of the World, and the surrounding areas.