Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
Signs and symptoms
Symptoms of MDS
Many MDS patients have no signs or symptoms and are diagnosed by chance after a routine blood test. If you do have symptoms, they can often vary from person to person and depend on which blood cells are affected.
Most symptoms happen because the blood counts are low. About 8 out of 10 patients have anaemia, while about 2 in 10 have infections or bleeding. MDS symptoms include:
- Anaemia:
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Palpitations
- Pale skin colour
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness - Infections that are frequent and difficult to treat
- Bleeding, often from the mouth or nose
- Bruising or skin rash
Infections can happen anywhere in your body and are usually caused by bacteria or fungi.
These symptoms can also be caused by conditions other than cancer, but it’s important to go to the GP and get any unusual changes checked.
Continue reading about myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS)
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