Asbestos Dangers and Health Risks

Asbestos Dangers and Health Risks

By CH Woods

Asbestosis is a long-term lung disorder where excess tissue is created in the lungs. 

This tissue diminishes the flexibility of your lungs, causing breathing to be more challenging. Poor breathing is considered the most typical symptom. Normally, a common bodily indicator is odd sounds in your lungs which can be heard by using a stethoscope.

When checking out asbestosis, upper body x-rays will reveal tiny abnormal spots on the x-ray film in which the x-rays weren't able to see through the tissues. They are generally seen within the lower and middle lungs. Lung performance tests will help you to figure out how severe the problem is.

Those with completely developed asbestosis will have symptoms like chest pain, blue skin coloration, shortness of breath, reduced lung performance, and a bad cough. Asbestosis typically needs many years of contact with asbestos fibers in order to fully develop. The rate of growth of this condition is different from person to person.

It is usually slow with very little changes over five or more years. Countless cases do not progress after medical diagnosis. It might, on the other hand, be faster in some people compared to others due to how the affected person was exposed to the fibers specifically.

Lung Cancer Caused by Asbestos Exposure
The likelihood of having lung cancer following contact with asbestos is determined by numerous factors. The normal length of time from contact with the fibers to cancer growth is twenty-five to thirty years. 

Despite the fact that lung cancer is normally linked to long-term exposures to asbestos, there are scientific studies that show that employees with less than a year of exposure are at a higher risk of having lung cancer many years in the future.

Lung cancer is also a greater risk for family members that live with a person who works in an environment involving asbestos since it can be transported into the home on clothing. If you work in such an environment, it would be best to change into clean clothes before you enter your home.

Lung cancer typically will not trigger symptoms in the beginning. When signs and symptoms do take place, this means that the cancer has advanced. Outward indications of lung cancer can include shortness of breath, fever, chronic cough, chest pain, and weight loss.

These signs are also normal with various other lung problems, for that reason chest x-rays will need to be done to check for asbestosis.

Inhalation Effects
Breathing in asbestos fibers may also result in four forms of non-cancerous problems within the lining of your chest cavity.

They include:

• Folded lung syndrome.
• Liquid in the chest cavity.
• Localized build-up of collagen (a fibrous protein found in skin, bone, and other connective tissues).
• Thickening of the chest cavity.

Laryngeal Risks
Contact with asbestos has additionally been discovered to considerably increase the occurrence of laryngitis (inflammation of the larynx, usually accompanied by hoarseness and coughing) in a few people.

Weakened Immune System
There has been a number of studies done on the consequences of asbestos exposure to the immune system. The majority of studies reveal that immune system performance is diminished in individuals with asbestosis.

It has not been confirmed whether or not the changes in immune function are a consequence of asbestosis.

In employees who have come in contact with asbestos, yet have not displayed any symptoms of asbestosis; tend to show no changes in immune system performance. Asbestos exposure can be a risk factor in an uncommon problem referred to as retroperitoneal fibrosis. This ailment can lead to kidney failure if left untreated.

If your job requires you to work with asbestos, be sure to read about the proper safety precautions when working with this toxic material. Your job should provide this information to you. 
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CH Woods is the Executive Director of Organic & Environmental Products
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