Types of Sickness Caused by Asbestos

Asbestos is a natural mineral fiber that was popularly used as a base for several construction materials due to its insulation and fire-retardant properties. Common products containing these fibers include: roofing shingles, wood tiles, walls, paper, asbestos cement, automotive parts, fire-resistant fabrics and gaskets. These products pose no harm when intact, but once damaged or deteriorated, they become serious health risks as they release asbestos fiber in the air. Individuals who inhale these fibers often develop debilitating, and even fatal, diseases affecting the lungs, stomach and heart.

Mesothelioma

• Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is only acquired through exposure to asbestos fiber. This disease destroys the mesothelial cells that form the Mesothelium tissue, the tissue responsible for producing a lubricating fluid that allows the body's organs to move without disturbing the nerves. Severe respiratory complications are the first symptoms of this disease as mesothelioma affects the membrane of the lung, chest, abdomen and the heart. It takes about 30 to 40 years before mesothelioma actually manifests itself. So far, there is no known cure for this disease.

Asbestosis

• Asbestosis is a progressive disease of the lungs that could sometimes lead to lung cancer. It primarily affects the alveoli, which is the part of our lungs that act as primary gas exchange units. When an individual inhales asbestos, some of the fibers settle in the alveoli walls, causing it to form scar tissue. These scars make it difficult for the oxygen to get into the blood and this causes its victims to have shortness of breath or produce crackling sound in the lungs while inhaling. Extreme cases of asbestosis can sometimes lead to heart failure, as the heart eventually works harder to pump more oxygen to the body. Just like mesothelioma, there is no effective cure for this disease, especially once tissue scarring has started.

Asbestos pleural disease

• This occurs when the pleural lining of the lungs thicken as a reaction to the presence of asbestos fibers in the lungs. Pleural disease is similar to asbestosis, as it is also caused by tissue scarring only this time, the affected portion is the lining of the lungs. It usually takes 10 years for this disease to develop and one way to effectively detect it is through CT scans and chest X-rays. Just like asbestosis, pleural disease causes shortness of breath and interferes with lung function. It also doesn't have an effective cure and this debilitating disease gets worse due to the repeated scarring of the pleural lining caused by asbestos fiber remnants in the lungs.