LAM AFRICA

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Symptoms of LAM

Symptoms of LAM

Common signs and symptoms of lymphangioleiomyomatosis (LAM) may include:

  • Shortness of breath, especially following exertion

In the early stages of disease, women with LAM may experience shortness of breath only during strenuous exercise, but as the disease advances, this may occur even while at rest.

  • Chest pain, often caused by a collapsed lung(s) 
  • Frequent cough, occasionally expelling small amounts of blood
  • Fatigue
  • Build up of fluid in the lung
  • Enlarged lymph nodes

 

  • LAM IS RARE AND FEW DOCTORS ARE AWARE

     

    These symptoms are common to other conditions such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Women with LAM are frequently misdiagnosed with one of these conditions. If these symptoms don't improve with treatment or if lung collapse reoccurs, this may suggest that there is damage to healthy lung tissue. With LAM, healthy lung tissue is destroyed by the abnormal growth of an unusual type of muscle cell that invades the tissues of the lungs. 

    Patients who have any of the above signs or symptoms who don't improve should consult their health care provider, as they may indicate LAM or other serious diseases or complications.

    Other Things to Watch For
    Forty percent of patients with LAM will develop benign kidney tumors called angiomyolipomas, commonly associated with another rare disease, tuberous sclerosis.

    Most women with LAM (six out of every seven) experience a collapsed lungs, and recurrent lung collapses are common with LAM.

    In one out of every three patients with LAM, a fluid, called lymph, leaks into the chest cavity and builds up.

     

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