Asbestos Poisoning – Now a Major Health Concern
More and more Americans have become victims of asbestos poisoning and it is now a major health concern throughout the nation. Asbestos poisoning occurs when a person inhaled asbestos fibers which are lodged inside his lungs because human bodies are not able to discharge them naturally. The victim would barely notice if he ingested these fibers because they are too tiny to be seen by the naked eye and too light that they can stay afloat for a long period.
Asbestos-related diseases have an unusual characteristic of long latency. The first symptoms will manifest after twenty to forty years from the time of asbestos exposure. Hence, if the victim was in his twenties at the time of exposure, the illness will begin to affect him well after he retires. Diagnosis of these diseases is made even more difficult by the fact that the symptoms are similar with other more common lung problems such as chest pains, difficulty of breathing, persistent dry cough and others. Thus, only until it has become a major health problem will the disease be diagnosed.
The three major diseases resulting from asbestos-poisoning are asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. Asbestosis occurs when the inner lung tissue becomes hard due to asbestos fibers that are embedded into it, causing the patient to lose his ability for absorption of oxygen and the ability to exert extended physical efforts.
Mesothelioma takes place when malignant tumors, which reproduce rapidly, are formed in the mesothelium because of asbestos fibers that are lodged in it. Pleural mesothelioma, cancer of the outer lining of the lung is the most common form of this disease.
Lung cancer also develops due to asbestos fibers that remain in the lungs. Once mesothelioma has reached the advanced stage, it will affect the nearby tissue and organs, the lungs included. This is called metastasis which may be a cause for lung cancer. It can be therefore said that asbestos poisoning can cause lung cancer, or it can contribute to the disease, especially if the patient is also a smoker.
Unfortunately, to date, there is no known cure for these asbestos-related diseases. Asbestosis, as well as mesothelioma, are progressive; with asbestosis growing slowly over time, while mesothelioma is an aggressive malignancy, patients surviving for an average of twelve to fifteen months after diagnosis. Lung cancer is also incurable but if handled at an early stage, patients may live longer and have more active lives.
Majority of the cases of these diseases are due to asbestos exposure in the workplace. Thousands of cases have been filed in American courts against firms and companies that use asbestos products that have adversely affected their workers who now suffer asbestos poisoning and severe health conditions. More than $200 billion in compensations have been given to the victims.
