| lioma symptom relief is the central focus of care | | | | the patient’s self-monitoring of their |
| for the mesothelioma patient deemed incurable. | | | | mesothelioma treatment. A mesothelioma patient |
| Pain management will vary with each patient. The | | | | with trouble breathing needs to learn how to |
| mesothelioma patient’s pre-existing | | | | purse their lips at the first sign of breathing |
| conditions and exacerbating conditions are factors | | | | trouble, stay calm, relax their shoulders, back, |
| in determining the best mesothelioma symptom | | | | neck and arms, then flop themselves into |
| relief and palliative care plan available. However, | | | | relaxation. Until this technique is mastered, learning |
| there are similarities in mesothelioma treatment | | | | how to breathe out slowly is an important step in |
| and symptomatic relief for pleural mesothelioma, | | | | breathing management. |
| pericardial mesothelioma and peritoneal | | | | Mesothelioma patients must realize that anxiety |
| mesothelioma. | | | | breeds anxiety. If a patient is afraid that they are |
| Almost every cancer patient, mesothelioma | | | | going to die at the moment they are experiencing |
| cancer patients included, experiences painful | | | | breathing difficulty, their body will respond by |
| difficulty breathing during the last stages of | | | | producing more anxiety, and more breathlessness. |
| cancer. Medical studies have indicated that as | | | | This is an emotional and physical response, not |
| many as 70% of terminal cancer patients | | | | merely emotional. |
| experience painful difficulty breathing. With | | | | Oxygen is sometimes prescribed for |
| diseases such as pleural mesothelioma, pericardial | | | | mesothelioma symptom relief; however physicians |
| mesothelioma and lung cancer, painful breathing | | | | report that some patients become unnecessarily |
| and shortness of breath occurs during all of the | | | | dependent on oxygen. For other patients, oxygen |
| cancer stages, not just the terminal stages. | | | | is their lifeline of mesothelioma treatment. Oxygen |
| Difficulty breathing is frightening for the | | | | therapy also requires a review of whether |
| mesothelioma patient, the caregiver and family | | | | intermittent or continuous therapy provides the |
| members. The fear of imminent death and | | | | best relief for their mesothelioma symptoms. |
| helplessness suddenly becomes unexpectedly | | | | Mesothelioma treatment with oxygen therapy will |
| more real. Mesothelioma symptom relief for | | | | also consider whether to use oxygen tanks or an |
| breathing difficulties should include emotional care | | | | oxygen concentrator. |
| as well as physical symptom relief. Relaxation | | | | There are also medications for mesothelioma |
| techniques should be taught, and it should be | | | | symptom relief of breathlessness. Anxiolytic drugs |
| stressed that there needs to be adaptations to | | | | Lorazepam, Diazepam, Midazolam, and |
| daily activities to reduce breathing difficulty. | | | | Methotrimeprazine can be prescribed for |
| Lifestyle changes will be in order to control | | | | mesothelioma treatment of breathlessness. |
| mesothelioma breathing difficulties, and the most | | | | Benzodiazepines are anxiolytic drugs that have a |
| stubborn mesothelioma patients need to be | | | | sedative effect and use muscle relaxation as pain |
| convinced that this is the best mesothelioma | | | | treatment of breathlessness. |
| treatment for them. Defining a new lifestyle as a | | | | Mesothelioma symptom relief for breathing |
| well deserved vacation can help instigate a | | | | requires educating the patient, the caregiver and |
| transition. | | | | the family in palliative care. Mesothelioma |
| Mesothelioma symptom relief for physical pain | | | | treatment for pain also requires monitoring and |
| from breathing difficulties can be provided by | | | | adapting mesothelioma pain treatment plans to |
| learning, advising and providing for the patient the | | | | meet the patient’s medical needs, as well |
| best position of their body for proper air flow. A | | | | as their emotional needs. Listening to the |
| fresh stream of air from a window or a fan can | | | | patient’s perception of pain is crucial to |
| provide mesothelioma symptom relief during | | | | determining the appropriate pain management |
| breathing difficulty. Teaching the patient | | | | treatment for mesothelioma symptoms. The |
| hyperventilation techniques can be very useful for | | | | patient feels the pain. |