Medical Effects of Asbestos

Asbestos is a fiber that was formerly used often in construction as an insulation material, in floor tiles, and in materials used for soundproofing. Although a person exposed to asbestos won't suffer ill effects at first, he may experience long-term lung disease from his exposure. Because of long-term medical effects from asbestos, some forms of it have been banned by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, and others have been discontinued by the manufacturers. Today, workers may still be in danger from asbestos when remodeling necessitates the removal of old asbestos or age causes the old buildings in which it still exists to crumble.

Significance

• Asbestos fibers are very small, and they become invisible when airborne. A person near asbestos inhales the fibers without knowing it and bring it home on her clothing or equipment, where her family inhales it. Once inhaled, especially in large concentrations, asbestos causes incurable lung damage. Asbestos exposure occurs on construction job sites and in homes or businesses where materials containing asbestos have been used in the past.

Time Frame

• Although most people who are exposed to small amounts of asbestos will never develop symptoms, those who have been exposed to large amounts of the fibers can develop symptoms of lung disease 20 to 30 years after their exposure.

Lung Cancer

• The risks of developing lung cancer after exposure to asbestos increase in people who have inhaled large amounts of the fibers and in people who smoke. Not all people who have lung cancer experience symptoms in its early stages. Some experience a persistent cough, bloody phlegm or persistent bronchitis. Lung cancer tumors, which can be fatal, can spread to other organs in the body.

Mesothelioma

• Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that occurs in the mesothelium, which is a two-layer lining that surrounds most of the body's organs. Mesothelioma is a relatively rare form of cancer, but it occurs in men more often than women, and a person's risk increases the older he gets. About 70 percent to 80 percent of mesothelioma cases occur in patients who have been exposed to asbestos.

  Some patients with mesothelioma will have no symptoms for 30 to 50 years after their exposure to asbestos. Symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath, painful breathing and coughing, abdominal swelling and unexplained weight loss. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy can be used to treat mesothelioma. A doctor also may perform a procedure to drain fluid from the area to make a patient more comfortable.

Asbestosis

• Asbestosis is scarring in the lung tissue from exposure to the asbestos fibers. Such symptoms as coughing, shortness of breath and, in some cases, clubbing or curling of the fingers occur many years after asbestos exposure. Treatment of asbestosis includes medicines to improve lung function and decrease inflammation as well as vaccination to prevent serious lung illnesses, such as pneumonia.

Prevention

• Because the medical effects of asbestos can be serious, limiting exposure to asbestos is the best way to prevent them. According to the EPA, asbestos exposure happens when materials constructed using asbestos fibers are damaged or disturbed. So if floor tiles contain asbestos, residents are not at severe risk of exposure unless they are broken apart. It is best to leave asbestos undisturbed if it is intact.

  If the asbestos needs to be removed, trained professionals who take such precautions as wearing safety equipment can do it while minimizing the risk of exposure to their crew and the inhabitants of the building.