A number of symptoms of serious illnesses can unfortunately be dismissed as something else entirely - especially anxiety, tiredness, or day-to-day stress.
One 19-year-old, Evie, knows this first-hand after taking to TikTok to reveal the eight symptoms she suffered prior to her diagnosis of Hodgkin lymphoma, a cancer that develops in the lymphatic system.
She explained in one video that she experienced major fatigue, repeated illness, itchy skin, weight fluctuations, vomiting, alcohol intolerance, constant infections and a lump in her neck.
But what are the main early warning signs of blood cancer that can often be mistaken for one particular mental health disorder?
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Well, according to the Mayo Clinic, the main blood cancer symptoms include:
- Weight loss that is unexplained
- Shortness of breath (breathlessness)
- Drenching night sweats
- Rash or itchy skin that is unexplained
- Tiredness that doesn’t improve with rest or sleep (fatigue)
A number of blood cancer symptoms, including some mentioned above, can sometimes be misdiagnosed as anxiety.
Fatigue or constant tiredness can be written off as stress or burnout, but could be due to cancer-related anaemia or the body fighting off abnormal cells.
Additionally, a shortness of breath may feel like anxiety-induced hyperventilation, but it can also be a symptom of anaemia or low oxygen levels linked to blood cancers.
Rapid heartbeat (palpitations) are likewise common during panic attacks, but can also result from anaemia or reduced red blood cell count in blood cancers.
As previously discussed, night sweats are also a key symptom of lymphoma and leukaemia - something which is frequently attributed to anxiety or stress.
Also, while unexplained weight loss could be overlooked as a stress-related appetite issue, it is often an early red flag for various cancers.
Dizziness or lightheadedness may also feel like an anxiety episode but could stem from anaemia or changes in blood cell counts.
And lastly, frequent infections or being slow to recover will lead some medical experts to assume a weak immune response is due to stress, but this can also indicate compromised immunity from blood cancer.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
If you're experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They're open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you're not comfortable talking on the phone.
Topics: Mental Health, Health, Cancer, Explained, Life
Rhiannon Ingle