Asbestos Dangers

Once considered as one of the most useful, naturally occurring minerals on Earth, asbestos has been found guilty of serving as a trigger of severe diseases. The use of this mineral can be dated to a period as far as of the Roman Empire. In modern times, or until 1972, asbestos was widely used for the construction of buildings like schools, offices, homes and also in insulating pipes and wiring. The extensive use of this mineral was due to its excellent resistance to fire, corrosion and many other atmospheric agents and pollutants. At the same time, it is strong, durable and versatile.

Dangers of Asbestos

The main component of asbestos which pose health hazards are its fibers. These fibers have the ability to break down into sizes so small that they eventually become microscopic. When observed under a microscope, these pieces appear as little spears. The fibers just get smaller and smaller and never break down so that they become harmless. These microscopic pieces become a hazard when they become airborne and thus, can be easily inhaled or ingested. Once they have made their way into the body, they trigger off severe medical disorders. These disorders tend to show no symptoms of any kind or remain asymptomatic, until they have caused major damage to the body. By the time, the diseases are diagnoses, there are fewer options left for the treatment.

Speaking of how much asbestos exposure is dangerous to health, experts are still on with their research to get to a specific conclusion. However, certainty lies with the fact that the more a person is exposed to inhaling or ingesting this substance, the more are the chances for him/her to develop an asbestos-related diseases, the common ones of which have been described below.

Asbestosis

If a person has developed asbestosis, then the symptoms here include chest pain, coughing, finger deformity and reduced tolerance to physical activity. The person might also suffer from shortness of breath, which initially, may occur due to exertion, but later, even while resting. As mentioned earlier, these kinds of symptoms take about 20 - 30 years to reveal themselves and in some cases, even longer.

Mesothelioma

Next in the list of asbestos dangers, is a disorder wherein the mesothelium (epithelium originating in the embryonic mesoderm; lines the primordial body cavity) is affected by cancer. This is a rare kind of disease which affects humans and the symptoms which it exhibits include painful breathing and coughing, chest pain, abnormal weight loss, dry cough, shortness of breath and formation of strange lump like tissue under the skin on the chest.

Asbestos Lung Cancer

This disorder of lung causes which occurs due to asbestos exposure, can begin in lining of the bronchi (either of the two main branches of the trachea), the trachea (membranous tube with cartilaginous rings that conveys inhaled air from the larynx to the bronchi), bronchioles (any of the smallest bronchial ducts; ending in alveoli), or alveoli (tiny sac for holding air in the lungs). Symptoms include chest pain, swelling of neck and face, weight loss, repeated bouts of bronchitis or pneumonia and hoarseness. Fatigue, prolonging chest, shoulder, or back pain that worsens with deep breaths, cough and coughing up blood are the other symptoms in this case.

Diffuse Pleural Thickening

The inhaled asbestos fibers can make their way into the pleura (thin serous membrane around the lungs and inner walls of the chest) and may give rise to scarring or fibrosis. This, in turn, causes the pleura to thicken over time. Symptoms are chest pain shortness of breath and decreased ability to exercise.

To conclude, the most dreaded part of such asbestos-related diseases is that they cannot be identified in time. So, here prevention takes a very important place. Keep yourself away from the exposure, and be safe from such ailments.