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5 alarming signs of esophageal cancer

Esophageal cancer involves the growth of cancerous cells in a person’s esophagus. The esophagus is a long tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. Some of its symptoms may resemble other illnesses, such as eosinophilic esophagitis. Like the latter, esophageal cancer also features the rapid growth of cells along the inner lining of the esophagus. To avoid the confusion caused by such overlap, here are some typical early signs of esophageal cancer:

Swallowing difficulties
People with esophageal cancer experience an aggressive growth of cells in the inner lining of the esophagus. Due to this, such individuals have trouble swallowing even the most malleable of foods around. Essentially, this effect is a result of the narrowing of one’s food pipe due to the growth of cells. Along with swallowing difficulty, people with esophageal cancer frequently choke on their food.

Gradually, this particular symptom worsens, and people with esophageal cancer find it increasingly difficult and painful to ingest any food.

Hoarseness in voice
In its initial stages, esophageal cancer also makes its presence felt by causing people with the condition to develop a hoarse and scratchy voice. The cancerous cells not only paralyze the vocal cords and disrupt the nerve signals sent to and from a person’s larynx. People who listen to such individuals may notice an unnaturally grungy tone in their voices. If one experiences a dramatic change in the voice, then there is a strong possibility that they may have esophageal cancer.

Persistent hiccups
Beyond affecting one’s larynx, laryngeal nerves, and vocal cords, the cancerous cells in the esophagus also adversely disrupt the phrenic nerves and the diaphragm. This results in persistent hiccups in people with this condition.

Now, hiccups can be a symptom of many other health conditions, such as acid reflux and acidity. To differentiate between such conditions and esophageal cancer, people can get themselves screened regularly for cancer at their nearest healthcare center.

Chest burn
Chronic chest pains are another common characteristic of esophageal cancer. This cancer aggravates chronic heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Additionally, people may experience a sharp, stinging sensation of pain right after they swallow food. This pain is caused by the passage of food or drinks at the site of the tumor in the esophagus.

Unexplained muscle loss
Unexplained muscle loss is a symptom of almost all kinds of cancer. Similarly, esophageal cancer is no different, with about 5 in 10 people with this condition experiencing unexplained muscle loss. Healthcare professionals usually link this symptom to the fact that people with esophageal cancer do not feel like eating too much food due to swallowing difficulty and intense throat pain.

Muscle mass maintenance necessitates the intake of enough calories on a daily basis to meet the requisite calorie needs of the various organs within one’s body. However, a reduced desire to eat food, combined with other issues such as cancer-affected metabolism problems, cause seemingly unexplained and rapid muscle loss in people with this condition.

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