Asbestosis is a slow growing, non-cancerous disease that causes scar tissue to build up in the lungs, obstructing normal lung operation. Thousands of people are exposed to the dangerous chemical asbestos every year in the workplace and should be aware of the symptoms that may indicate serious health problems such as asbestosis or mesothelioma. Some of the many industries that are at greater risk include: construction, shipyard, automobile, factory, and railway manufacturing.
Asbestos is in the same category as silica compounds with fibers that are varying shapes and sizes and found throughout the earth. There are three main types of asbestos and all three have been linked with cancerous and non-cancerous lung disease: crocidolite (blue asbestos), chrysotile (white asbestos), and amosite (brown asbestos). Because diseases caused by asbestos remain dormant or grow very slowly over many years, it is possible to not even notice you have a problem for up to fifty years after your initial exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of asbestosis include things like shortness of breath, a chronic cough, chest pain, and difficulty breathing.
Mesothelioma is a type of cancer of the lungs that affects the pleural lining in the lungs and may also affect the pericardial lining of the heart and peritoneal lining of the organs. Common symptoms of mesothelioma are similar to asbestosis but also include: swelling, weight loss, nausea, obstructed bowels, anemia, night sweats, and fever. When the lining of the lungs (pleura) becomes inflamed and calcified or when fluid accumulates around the lungs it is simply classified as “disease of the lining of the lungs”. Symptoms of diseased pleura include shortness of breath and possible pain or bleeding around the lungs.
All of the commercial forms of asbestos have been linked to lung disease, both cancerous and noncancerous. Over the past twenty years, deaths due to asbestos related diseases have increased significantly, but experts are hoping that increased awareness of the risks mean that the number of deaths will decrease in the future. “If you have been exposed to asbestos and are experiencing any of these or related asbestos symptoms, you should seek medical attention as soon as possible. If you have developed an asbestos-related disease as a result of asbestos exposure, you may be eligible to file a claim to recover your losses.”
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