Asbestos Exposure Symptoms

Asbestos is a substance most often found in building materials used in older homes or offices. When these building materials are disturbed, they can shed tiny asbestos fibers, releasing them into the air where they may be inhaled by people in the building unknowingly, causing a host of symptoms and medical problems, usually decades later. Since asbestos has been identified as a cause of some cancers and other complications, lawsuits have been abundant and companies are taking steps to reduce the risk. This includes using building materials that do not contain asbestos and removing the asbestos that is already present. The use of asbestos has been banned in several countries but is allowed in certain circumstances in the United States (www.epa.gov/asbestos).

Risk

• People who are at risk for asbestos-related diseases are usually those who have been exposed to large amounts for an extended period of time. This includes people who work in industries that use with materials containing asbestos. Though found in small amounts virtually everywhere, concentrated amounts of asbestos are often encountered by people like firefighters, people in the construction industry, shipbuilders and automobile workers.

General Symptoms

• The symptoms of many asbestos-related diseases are similar and include breathing problems like wheezing, a chronic cough, pain and chest tightness and throat discomfort. Some people also might cough up blood. General feelings of illness like fatigue, unexplained weight loss and lack of appetite are further causes for concern.

Asbestosis

• Asbestosis is a noncancerous condition that can occur as a result of asbestos exposure. Symptoms may not appear until decades after exposure. The condition is caused by the scar tissue that sometimes forms in the bottom of the lungs after asbestos contact. Symptoms of this complication can include breathing problems like shortness of breath, coughing and pain in the chest.

Lungs

• Asbestos exposure may cause other noncancerous complications that affect the thin membranes of the lungs. This includes thickening and the build-up of plaque in the pleura--the lining of the lungs. It may also lead to effusions, which are collections of fluid between the layers of the lung tissue.

Mesothelioma

• Mesothelioma is a rare cancer, but the most common cancer associated with asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma affects the thin membranes of the chest and abdomen. The symptoms of this disease are breathing problems, fatigue and weight loss.

Other Cancers

• Besides mesothelioma and lung cancer, several other forms of cancer are associated with asbestos exposure, including colorectal and gastrointestinal cancers, and cancers of the throat, kidneys, gallbladder and esophagus.