Could it be nasopharyngeal cancer?

Nasopharyngeal cancer will have this symptom. However, this situation is most common when the weather is dry and there is local infection. Therefore, go to the otolaryngology department for a checkup first. Keeping it moist may be good. Blood, nasal congestion, tinnitus, etc. may be early symptoms of nasopharyngeal cancer. You should go to the hospital for further examination in time. Friends are reminded not to be careless if you find this phenomenon. Thinking it is a trivial matter may hide troubles.

In the past two months, Uncle Wang often had bloody nose when he got up in the morning, and sometimes he would suck out bloody nose from his mouth. At first he thought it was a nosebleed caused by dry weather and didn't pay much attention. However, after two months, the situation did not improve. Therefore, Uncle Wang went to the otolaryngology department of the hospital for treatment. The doctor performed a nasopharyngoscopy and pathological examination on him, and finally confirmed that he had nasopharyngeal cancer.

Nose bleeding may seem like a trivial matter to many people, but if bloody secretions appear repeatedly in the nose, the mucus is pale pink, or the sputum is bloodshot, it is a "big deal". Because this condition, which is medically known as "bloody sneezing", is likely to be an early sign of nasopharyngeal cancer.

Nasopharyngeal cancer has the highest incidence rate among malignant tumors of the head and neck, and it is easily misdiagnosed in the early stage. Because the nasopharynx is in a hidden location, there are no specific symptoms in the early stage, and the abundant lymphatic vessels in the nasopharynx provide convenient conditions for cancer cell metastasis. But it does not mean that "bloody nasal discharge" means nasopharyngeal cancer. The director of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery of a hospital pointed out that the difference between "bloody nasal discharge" and "bloody nasal discharge" from cancer is actually very simple: it is caused by dryness of the nasal cavity or nasopharynx. Bleeding usually does not last long, but bleeding from nasopharyngeal cancer is repeated, persistent, and aggravated, accompanied by symptoms such as tinnitus, hearing loss, and ear blockage. At this time, as long as you go to the hospital for a nasopharyngoscopy, you can make a clear judgment at a glance.

In addition, if a rapidly growing lump appears in the neck, it may also indicate nasopharyngeal cancer. Because the internal structure of the nose is complex, and the lymphatic vessels in the nose are like small roads leading to the outside world, cancer cells can form in the neck near the back of the earlobe, causing swollen cervical lymph nodes. Director Huang said that if the hard lump grows to the size of a quail egg in a short period of time, it is best to go to the hospital for examination in time.

Another neglected symptom of nasopharyngeal cancer is migraine. Doctors remind that if the above symptoms are accompanied by a headache, the cancer cells may have metastasized into the brain. Early headaches are generally intermittent, while late stages may lead to persistent severe headaches. At this time, the patient cannot just go to the neurology department to "treat the headache." It is best to take skull base photos or CT scans.

It should be noted that although the medical community has not yet proven that persistent rhinitis can lead to nasopharyngeal cancer, this does not mean that rhinitis has no relationship with nasopharyngeal cancer. Epstein-Barr virus, one of the causes of nasopharyngeal cancer, can also cause upper respiratory tract infection, leading to symptoms of rhinitis. Therefore, it is best for patients with rhinitis to go to the hospital for an EB virus serological test to detect cancer early.

“Now due to the better publicity of the disease, the citizens of Foshan are more wary of nasopharyngeal cancer. Some patients even think they have nasopharyngeal cancer due to dry nosebleeds.” Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine Ear and Nose Feng Huiling, deputy chief physician of the laryngology department, said. Phenomenon 1: Blood in the sputum after aspiration. Feng Huiling said that bleeding is a common symptom in the early stage of nasopharyngeal cancer, but this kind of bleeding mainly manifests as blood in the sputum after aspiration into the nose. It often occurs after getting up in the morning, and the blood is sucked out of the mouth. Bloody nose, not much blood. When the tumor becomes necrotic and ruptures, there will be more bleeding and smelly nasal mucus. Dr. Chen Shuhua, director of the Otolaryngology Department of Foshan Second People's Hospital, also pointed out that early nasopharyngeal cancer can easily be misdiagnosed as rhinitis due to frequent nasal congestion and other phenomena. Phenomenon 2: Symptoms appear in ears. According to reports, citizens are currently very sensitive to bloody noses, but other "clues" of nasopharyngeal cancer are easily ignored. Dr. Feng Huiling pointed out that there is a Eustachian tube connected between the nasopharynx and the middle ear cavity, which can regulate the pressure in the middle ear cavity and maintain the balance of pressure inside and outside the tympanic membrane. Nasopharyngeal cancer is most likely to occur near the opening of the Eustachian tube. , the cancer compresses the opening of the Eustachian tube, causing obstruction and causing symptoms like secretory otitis media. "If you wait until you find blood in the sputum aspirated, or a lump in the neck, it is already in the mid-to-late stage. The earliest symptom among the patients we find clinically is ear symptoms. We need to remind the public to pay special attention to this." Feng Huiling said. Depending on where the tumor grows, symptoms may also appear in other nearby organs. Nasopharyngeal cancer patients tend to become younger. Medical science has proven that the incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer tends to cluster in families. Dr. Chen Shuhua, director of the Otolaryngology Department of Foshan Second People's Hospital, is working on a project funded by national natural funds. He is conducting dynamic observations on families who have had nasopharyngeal cancer patients, and conducting quarterly checks on EB virus and nasopharyngeal cancer for high-risk groups. and proteomic examination, and intervention measures for family members. Preliminary research shows that the incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer has a trend of getting younger, from the original high incidence age of 40 to 60 years old to young people around 30 years old, both men and women. In addition, in families with nasopharyngeal cancer, people with Qi deficiency constitution are more likely to develop the disease, with symptoms such as fatigue and pale complexion. Liang Guiwen, an attending Chinese medicine physician at the Department of Oncology, Foshan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, also pointed out that traditional Chinese medicine believes that nasopharyngeal cancer is caused by dysfunction of the internal organs, deficiency of the internal organs, injuries from the seven emotions and six extremities, and evil poisons taking advantage of the deficiency to invade, causing internal excess of lung heat, or liver and gallbladder Heat poison, or phlegm and fire combine with each other. Eventually, phlegm, heat, blood stasis, poison, etc. accumulate in the nasal orifices, blocking the meridians, and eventually lead to nasopharyngeal cancer.

Eating more foods containing copper and selenium can prevent nasopharyngeal cancer. Epidemiological studies in Hong Kong, an area with a high incidence of nasopharyngeal cancer, have proven that eating foods rich in nitrite amines such as salted fish and pickles can increase the risk of nasopharyngeal cancer. Sex, especially young children who start eating salted fish and pickled vegetables after weaning. Chen Shuhua pointed out that changing bad eating habits and eating less canned, pickled and smoked foods is the key to preventing nasopharyngeal cancer. The trace element copper in food has the effect of blocking nitrite amines. Insufficient selenium content may also lead to cancer. Citizens can eat more copper-rich egg yolks, shells and black fungus, and selenium-rich beans, sesame and other foods.

In addition, regular drinking of green tea can also prevent the synthesis of carcinogen nitrosamines in the body; grapes, tomatoes, white radish, garlic, mushrooms, barley, etc. also have anti-cancer effects