Side Effects of Asbestos

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral that is found in various parts of the world in great quantities and mined. It has been used for more than a century for such purposes as insulation and as a flame retardant material due to its being able to withstand high temperatures. Unfortunately, asbestos exposure has serious side effects, with potentially deadly consequences for those who have been in close proximity to asbestos for long periods of time.

Types

• Most of the side effects of asbestos affect a person's lungs. Lung cancer is one, in which the individual develops the illness even if he has not smoked his entire life. Asbestosis is the most common asbestos related side effect, an ailment in which the inside of the lungs become scarred and the person struggles to breathe. Mesothelioma is a disease that exposure to asbestos causes in which the lining of certain organs, the lungs included, are attacked by cancer.

Identification

• Asbestosis can take decades to manifest itself with symptoms after years of asbestos exposure. It is what is classified as a fibrotic lung disease, precipitated by the minute asbestos fibers being inhaled and then settling in the lungs. Once there, they cannot be broken down by the lung's immune system, which only results in scarring the tissue of the lungs. This reduces lung capacity and results in coughing and difficulty breathing, with the person susceptible to infections. Asbestosis can lead to high blood pressure, heart disease, lung cancer and other problems.

Features

• Mesothelioma most often occurs after prolonged asbestos contact, but in some cases can develop more quickly. It derives its name from the mesothelium, a thin layer of cells that form a membrane or lining around certain parts of the body. Mesothelioma strikes at this lining and causes a cancer that is almost always fatal. The lining of the lungs, abdominal cavity, and the heart are the three areas where mesothelioma occurs the most.

Size

• There are an estimated 200,000 victims of asbestosis in the United States, with 2,000 of them succumbing to the disease each year. Mesothelioma claims 2,000 lives annually, as the prognosis with this much rarer asbestos side effect is always poor. Lung cancer from exposure to asbestos brings about as many as 3,200 deaths each year as well.

Considerations

• Asbestos was widely used in the building of ships and an estimated 100,000 shipyards workers have died or are expected to perish from asbestos related diseases. The mineral was employed to insulate steam boilers, furnaces and pipes in both ships and trains. Auto mechanics, especially those that specialize in brakes, are also a group that had extensive asbestos exposure. The side effects of asbestos are also felt by individuals that work as aircraft mechanics, asbestos removers, electrical workers, and especially those that mine the mineral.