Every year September 15 is celebrated as Lymphoma Awareness Day. Cancer is one of the largest contributing factors to deaths worldwide. There are many kind of cancers, where lymphoma is one of those, which affects the lymphatic system of our body. The purpose of Lymphoma Awareness Day is to spread more information about Lymphoma cancer.
What is the lymphatic system?
The lymphatic system is an organ system that keeps our health best by combatting infection and maintaining immunity levels. The lymphatic system of our body includes lymph nodes (lymph glands), spleen, bone marrow, and thymus gland.
What is Lymphoma cancer?
Lymphoma is a cancer of the lymphatic system which is human body’s germ fighting network. Lymphoma can affect all the lymphatic areas or any of them throughout the body. There are many kinds of Lymphoma. The most known are:
- Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
- Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Every type of lymphoma increases at a different rate. Also, it responds differently to treatment. Remember, lymphoma is treatable, but the outlook can vary upon the lymphoma and its stages of development. Sometimes, Lymphoma is considered similar to Leukemia, whereas the latter starts in blood-forming cells inside bone marrow, whereas the former starts in the infection-fighting mechanism.
Causes of Lymphoma:
Lymphoma occurs for different reasons. The cause of lymphoma is not yet certain. Alongside, the following factors can make you prone to attack of lymphoma:
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- If you are older than 60 years, you are at the fear of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma.
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- If you are between the age group of 15-40 years, you may have fear of Hodgkins Lymphoma.
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- If you have weak immune system due to medical conditions such as HIV, some immune disease or organ transplant.
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- If you are suffering from any immune disease such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, lupus, or celiac disease.
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- If you have a medical history of Epstein-Barr, hepatitis C, or HTLV-1.
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- If you are in a direct relationship with someone affected with Lymphoma.
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- If you are exposed to the chemicals that kill weeds and bugs.
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- If you have received radiation treatment in the past.
Symptoms of Lymphoma:
There are some warning signs, which may be considered the hurry for the test.
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- Swollen glands in the groin, armpit, and neck.
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- Chronic Cough issues and shortness of breath.
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- Suffering from fever, night sweats, fatigue and weight loss
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- These symptoms does not guarantee lymphoma issue, but can be considered a warning sign for Lymphoma.
Treatment of Lymphoma:
The different types of lymphoma have different treatments. Majorly, Lymphoma treatments may involve chemotherapy (use of medication to kill cancer cells), radiation therapy (use of high energy rays to kill cancer cells), immunotherapy (use of the immune system to kill cancer cells) medication, bone marrow transplant, and any combination of these.
How to take care of yourself while in treatment?
The cancer treatment has many side effects. When you go through the treatment you may face excessive heat in the body and several other conditions due to radiation. There must be a dietary modification in the body. Mild exercises like swimming can really help in managing fatigue. A few alternative therapies may also help you manage the issues in your body.
