Asbestos exposure

Asbestos exposure has been linked to many health ailments such as mesothelioma and lung cancer. Symptoms don't normally appear until years down the road, but knowing whether or not asbestos exposure has caused them is the first step to getting proper treatment and compensation.

Contents 1 How is one exposed to asbestos? 2 If asbestos is inhaled, will it always cause a disease? 3 Determining if asbestos exposure caused an ailment 4 Diseases related to asbestos exposure 4.1 Asbestosis 4.2 Digestive System Cancers 4.3 Lung Cancer 4.4 Mesothelioma 5 References

[edit] How is one exposed to asbestos?

Asbestos has been used in many construction materials and it was banned in the late 1970s. However, the use of asbestos did continue until supplies ran out in the 1980s making its impact a major one and the risk of becoming exposed even higher in older buildings.

When material containing asbestos is damaged it releases the asbestos dust (which is microscopic) into the air.^[1] When inhaled or digested, one's body becomes exposed to asbestos. At times, asbestos can enter the lungs causing the risk to be increased.

[edit] If asbestos is inhaled, will it always cause a disease?

Not everyone that's exposed to asbestos will end up having a disease caused by it. The determining factor of whether or not one is at a high risk of getting an asbestos-related disease is the "dose" of asbestos that their body has been exposed to.^[2] One who has worked around asbestos for a few months is at a lot less risk than the one who has worked around it for years. ^[3]

[edit] Determining if asbestos exposure caused an ailment

Symptoms associated with asbestos exposure don't usually happen until years later. The best way to get an idea of whether or not a disease is cause by asbestos is to see if it's commonly found among those suffering from asbestos exposure. If you have one of the common asbestos-related diseases and have been exposed to asbestos in the past than it's likely that it was actually caused by asbestos.

[edit] Diseases related to asbestos exposure

There are four diseases that scientific research has been able to link to asbestos exposure.^[4]

[edit] Asbestosis

Asbestosis is where the lung tissue becomes scarred. Shortness of breath is one sign to look for when checking for symptoms of abestosis. The lack of oxygen caused by asbestosis makes it hard for one to breathe normally and can result in not having enough oxygen in the body to walk freely. In severe cases of asbestosis it has been known to lead to death.

[edit] Digestive System Cancers

This includes but is not limited to colon cancer, stomach cancer, and rectal cancer. Those who have been exposed to asbestos have shown that there's a higher risk of being affected by digestive system cancers.

[edit] Lung Cancer

There's a higher risk (5 times more) of lung cancer among one who becomes exposed to asbestos. Smoking in combination with being affected by asbestos exposure increases the risk even more.

[edit] Mesothelioma

This is the most common disease associated with asbestos exposure. It's a form of cancer within the lungs or abdomen which has been deadly in certain cases.^[5] Just about every case of Mesothelioma is tied to some form of asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma can be caused by the smallest exposures to asbestos which has made it a growing concern.

[edit] References

References:

1. ↑ http://www.mesothelioma.com/mesothelioma/causes/
2. ↑ http://www.whitelung.org/pubs/QandA/asbestos.html
3. ↑ http://environmentalchemistry.com/yogi/environmental/asbestoshistory2004.html
4. ↑ http://ehs.okstate.edu/kopykit/asbestos1.htm
5. ↑ http://www.epa.gov/region8/superfund/libby/healthrisk.html

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