Asbestos Symptoms

Asbestos Symptoms: Late Indicators

by: Kirsten Hawkins

Asbestos symptoms refer to the changes in the body that indicate some type of serious diseases caused by exposure to asbestos particles. Awareness about asbestos symptoms is important because danger of asbestos exposure affects about 1.3 million people every year. Individuals employed in the railroad, factory, shipyard, automobile, construction and building industries in last six decades are at the risk of developing asbestos symptoms. Most unfortunate aspect of the asbestos related diseases is that the asbestos symptoms may lie dormant in the body for decades. This long latency period does not let the victim or his family knows about the existence of the disease. Asbestos symptoms might appear after 20-50 years of exposure. No study so far has come out with convincing evidence to show the effects of different amount and different duration of exposure to asbestos particles. Although individuals who have been exposed to asbestos for a longer time are more susceptible to asbestos related diseases, yet there are instances when patients developed serious disease with only a few months exposure. When exposed to asbestos, individuals either inhale or ingest the asbestos fibers. Natural destination of these fibers after inhalation is lungs while the ingested asbestos fibers take the route of digestive system. Therefore, asbestos symptoms start appearing in either lungs or digestive system. However, in some cases asbestos symptoms may appear in other organs also. Asbestos symptoms may be the indicators of cancerous and non- cancerous type of asbestos diseases. Asbestosis is a non-cancerous type of asbestos disease. This disease has asbestos symptoms such as shortness of breath, chest pain and persistent cough. Ignorance of these symptoms may lead to serious disability or even death. Mesothelioma is cancerous type of asbestos disease. Pleural mesothelioma affects the lining of lungs known as pleural membrane. Peritoneal mesothelioma shows its affect on the lining of organs of abdomen known as peritoneal membrane. Shortness of breath, persistent cough, chest pain and building up of fluids in the lungs are some symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. Asbestos symptoms of peritoneal mesothelioma are weight loss, nausea, difficulty in bowel movements, foot swelling, anemia and building up of fluid in abdomen. In rare cases, fever and night sweating may also appear as asbestos symptoms. People suffering from asbestos symptoms can file lawsuits against the persons and organizations for causing asbestos exposure. These Asbestos lawsuits can help the victims of asbestos symptoms to recover the damages for medical expenses, loss of income, lost earning capacity, pain and psychological sufferings. About the author: Kirsten Hawkins is a asbestos and mesothelioma specialist from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.asbestosblog.org/ for information on asbestos reform, mesothelioma lawsuit news, and more.

A Deadly Enviromental & Health Hazard

Asbestos: A Deadly Environmental & Health Hazard

by: Kirsten Hawkins

Asbestos is a term used for some naturally occurring minerals that form long thin fibers and fiber bundles on crystallization. Most commonly found group is the serpentine group that includes Chrysotile (white asbestos). It is also the most frequently mined form of Asbestos. Another very important asbestos group is known as the amphiboles, which includes Crocidolite (blue asbestos) and Amosite (brown asbestos). The asbestos fibers have high tensile strength, and chemical, electrical and heat resistance properties and so are extremely useful as a building/insulation material. Asbestos has been used extensively all over the world. Asbestos: General Information Although Asbestos is a hazardous material, it poses a health risk only if the Asbestos fibers become airborne and subsequently inhaled. Therefore, most Asbestos materials pose little health risk unless they are disturbed in a way that allows the fibers to be released into the atmosphere. Inhalation of asbestos fibers can lead to serious diseases such as lung cancer, Mesothelioma (a cancer of the lining of the lungs or lower digestive tract) and asbestosis (a chronic fibrosis of the lungs). Many industries used Asbestos extensively in the past, exposing their workers to this deadly materials. As a result, many new cases of Asbestos caused ailments are occurring now. However, the fact that Asbestos was also installed in many buildings means that a wider range of people still have the potential to be exposed – particularly building and maintenance workers. For this reason, the latest revision of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations introduces (from May 2004) a new responsibility on those responsible for non-domestic premises to manage the asbestos contained in them. Asbestos Caused Diseases Mesothelioma is a cancer of the pleural and peritoneal lining. It exclusively related to asbestos exposure. By the time it is diagnosed, it is usually fatal. Mesothelioma has a long latency period (time between exposure and onset of disease) of at least 15 years and sometimes as long as 60 years. Asbestosis is a scarring of the lung tissue. This scarring impairs the elasticity of the lung and hampers its ability to exchange gases. This leads to inadequate oxygen intake to the blood. Asbestosis restricts breathing leading to decreased lung volume and increased resistance in the airways. It is a slowly progressive disease with a latency period of 15 to 30 years. Lung Cancer is a malignant tumor of the bronchi covering. The tumor grows through surrounding tissue, invading and often obstructing air passages. Again, the disease has a long latency period of at least 20 years. The victims of all these asbestos related diseases are eligible to file lawsuits for compensation against the persons and organizations responsible for causing asbestos exposure. They can take the help of mesothelioma and asbestos attorneys to fight their compensation claims. About the author: Kirsten Hawkins is a asbestos and mesothelioma specialist from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.asbestosblog.org/ for information on asbestos reform, mesothelioma lawsuit news, and more.

Are asbestos fibers visible to the eye ?

by: Jeff Lakie

If you are in the construction business or employed by an industry that uses products containing asbestos, you may wonder “Are asbestos fibers visible to the eye”? Generally asbestos fibers are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Asbestos becomes dangerous when it has broken down into small fibers and is inhaled. It is nearly impossible to detect the presence of asbestos without taking the material to a lab for testing. A lab technician will put the material under a microscope to search for asbestos fibers. Asbestos does not cause an immediate reaction. It will not cause you to cough, sneeze, or your eyes to water. You cannot see, smell, or taste asbestos. If you skin becomes contaminated with asbestos it will not burn or itch. Asbestos related diseases have a very long latency period. This is the time frame from when you are first exposed to asbestos until you become ill. Most persons do not become ill for at least ten years after exposure and some not until over forty years later. Asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma are all asbestos related diseases. Asbestosis occurs when asbestos fibers enter the lungs. The body will naturally produce an acid to combat the fibers. However, this acid can cause scarring in the tissue of the lungs and in advanced stages breathing becomes more difficult and painful. Asbestosis was first documented in shipyard workers. Asbestos can also cause lung cancer. If a person smokes and is exposed to asbestos, they have a much greater chance of developing lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that has only been linked to asbestos exposure. It is a cancer of the cells that line the peritoneum (area surrounding the abdominal organs) and the pleura (area outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs). There is a lot of debate and controversy surrounding which types of asbestos is harmful. Some types of asbestos are thought to be more dangerous than others but all types of asbestos exposure should be avoided. Actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, chrysotile (white asbestos), and tremolite are all types of asbestos. Chrysotile is the type of asbestos most commonly used in manufacturing products. Asbestos fibers are not visible to the eye. If you feel you may have been exposed to asbestos, the most common method for testing is a chest x-ray. The x-ray will not show the asbestos fibers but it can spot early signs of lung disease. There is no known cure for asbestos related diseases. About the author: Jeff Lakie is the founder of Asbestos Resources a website providing information on asbestos