In the UK, about 1,800 people get mesothelioma each year. Mesothelioma is four times more common in men than women.
The mesothelium consists of a thin layer of mesothelial cells. A mesothelium layer surrounds some of the organs in the body. Each mesothelium has an inner (visceral) layer and an outer (parietal) layer. These two layers produce fluid which allows the layers to slide over each other easily.
If you have mesothelioma, the mesothelium thickens due to the growing cancer cells. This causes the mesothelium to restrict what it surrounds, such as the lungs or bowels. Fluid can also collect between the inner and outer layers of the mesothelium which can put pressure on surrounding organs and tissues. This collection of fluid has a different name, depending on where it is. For example, if the fluid is in the mesothelium surrounding the lungs it's called pleural effusion and if the fluid is in the mesothelium around the abdomen (tummy) it's called ascites.
The general symptoms of mesothelioma include:
Depending on which mesothelium is affected by the cancer, you may also have other symptoms.
If you have pleural mesothelioma you may:
If you have peritoneal mesothelioma you may:
Although not necessarily a result of mesothelioma, if you have these symptoms you should visit your GP.
1. Don't torture your body. You might think that the less you eat the more you will lose weight. You might go on an extremely low calorie diet and completely avoid anything that carries high calories. Well you will lose weight but then your body will be weak. If you make a habit of consuming fewer calories than your body requires, your body will automatically go into the 'starvation mode', which will definitely result into weight loss but you will be losing not fat but important components of your body like water and muscle. Thus although your size and your weight goes down, the fat still remains. With the result that you will experience lethargy, weakness, Fatigue, hunger pangs, headaches and loss of concentration. Thus try to avoid extremely low or extremely high calorie food intake. Just stop torturing yourself.
2. Balance your diet. Eat more of low calorie high fiber foods such as salads and fresh fruits with each meal. Avoid salad dressings. Eat more of whole grain food and also try out vegetable soups, which are great if you are on a diet. Avoid red meat (beef, pork, ham, sausage), organ meat (liver, brain, kidney) and egg yolks since they are bad for your health as they fall into the saturated fat category. These foods contain high level of calories. Saturated fats, oily stuff, sweets, ice cream and chocolates should be avoided as far as possible. Include sprouts in your food intake, as they are rich in protein.
3. Don't skip meals. Don't commit the mistake of skipping meals. If you are thinking that if you skip one meal you might work towards losing some weight but it is quite the opposite. Because when you eat you tend to eat more and this might work against all your efforts of losing weight. Breakfast is one meal that's very important because as the first meal of the day it helps you to raise your energy levels and provides you energy for the rest of the day. Dinner should always be light. Your body burns few calories while you sleep and if you consume excess calories at dinner, it can easily get stored up in the body as fat.
4. Learn a few tricks.
5. Don't lose heart. Everyone's weight control efforts get sidetracked from time to time. You might get fed up of going on a diet over and over again without getting any result. Don't worry. It is important to remember that temporary setbacks should, after the initial disappointment, serve as stepping-stones to future success. Use your past failures as learning experiences on the way to successful weight control. So pick yourself up and go ahead do it this time.
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Exercise Regularly
Regular exercise and activity will help your body gain muscle and not unwanted fat. To gain weight in a healthy way, keep bones strong and your body toned. Ensure regular physical activity for 30 minutes, 5 days a week. You can go in for brisk walking, swimming, cycling or join a gym. Take care not to be too active. If you are someone who is always on their feet, make time each day to relax. Remember that you need to consume more calories than you can burn up. As always, check with your GP first if you haven't exercised for a long time.
Who should lose weight? Health experts generally agree that adults who are overweight and have weight-related medical problems or a family history of such problems can benefit from weight loss. Some weight-related health problems include diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, or high blood sugar levels. Even a small weight loss of 10 to 20 pounds can improve your health by lowering your blood pressure and cholesterol levels.
Your body weight is controlled by the number of calories you eat and the number of calories you use each day. So, to lose weight you need to take in fewer calories than you use. You can do this by becoming more physically active or by eating less.
Following a weight loss program that helps you to become more physically active and decrease the amount of calories that you eat is most likely to lead to successful weight loss. A weight loss program should also help you keep the weight off by making changes in your physical activity and eating habits that you will be able to follow for the rest of your life.
To lose weight and keep it off, you should follow a weight loss program that will work for you. Three types of weight loss programs commonly used include: do-it-yourself, clinical and non-clinical programs.
Any efforts to lose weight by you or with a group of like-minded others through support groups, worksite or community-based programs fits in the "do-it-yourself" category. Individuals using a do-it-yourself program rely on their own judgment, group support, and products such as diet books for advice.
Clinical program may or may not be commercially owned. Services are provided in a health-care setting such as a hospital, by licensed health professionals such as physicians, nurses, dietitians, and/or psychologists. In some clinical programs, a health professional works alone; in others, services are provided by a group of health professionals. This program may offer services such as nutrition education, medical care, behavior change therapy, and physical activity.
Non-clinical programs may or may not be commercially operated, such as through a privately-owned weight loss chain. They often use books and pamphlets that are prepared by health-care providers. These programs use counselors (who usually are not health-care providers and may or may not have training) to provide services to you. Some programs require participants to use the program's food or supplements.
Other weight loss methods used to treat severely overweight patients include low-calorie diets, prescription weight loss drugs and surgery. If you are considering a weight loss program and you have medical problems, or if you are severely overweight, programs run by trained health professionals may be best for you. These professionals are more likely to monitor you for possible side effects of weight loss and to talk to your doctor when necessary.
The key to successful weight loss is making changes in your eating and physical activity habits that you will be able to maintain for the rest of your life. The first step is to look at your eating and physical activity habits, thus uncovering behaviors such as television watching, that lead you to overeat or be inactive. Next you'll need to learn how to change those behaviors.
