Consequences of Asbestos Exposure
Consequences of Asbestos Exposure
Most people are exposed to low levels of asbestos at some point
during their lives. However, not everyone suffers from the adverse
effects of exposure. For the most part, the people who develop
asbestos-related diseases are commonly those who are exposed to asbestos
on a regular basis, or exposed to high concentrations of asbestos
fibers. In most cases, people who develop these diseases have been
exposed to asbestos at work.
Since the 1940s, millions of Americans working in construction,
shipbuilding, and manufacturing industries have been exposed to
asbestos. Hundreds of thousands of people who once worked in trades such
as mining, milling, construction and building, shipbuilding, and
manufacturing of asbestos-containing materials and products, have
developed asbestos-related diseases as a direct consequence of
work-related exposure to asbestos.
Not all people who develop these diseases have been exposed to
asbestos at work, however. In some cases, family members of asbestos
workers have been exposed to the substance as a result of asbestos dust
being brought into the home via contaminated work clothes.
Similarly, not everyone who is exposed to asbestos will develop an
asbestos-related disease. Some occupations are at higher risk than
others, and some medical studies indicate that certain types of asbestos
are more dangerous than others. Despite this, it is important to
consider all forms of asbestos as being potentially harmful. Working
with any type of asbestos requires that proper safety precautions be
taken, including the use of a respirator and protective clothing.
Asbestos-Related Diseases
Asbestos is a serious health hazard, because the substance is
composed of mineral fibers that can damage delicate body tissues. In
most cases, asbestos fibers enter the body via inhalation. The body is
unable to cough up or otherwise expel the fibers, and they are highly
durable, and cannot be broken down by the body. Over time, these trapped
asbestos fibers cause irreparable damage to the lungs.
The damage caused by many asbestos-related diseases is proportional
to the amount of exposure experienced by an individual, and is also
related to the type of asbestos involved, and the length and diameter of
the fibers that are breathed in. The fibers that are the most dangerous
are so small they cannot be seen by the naked eye.
Asbestos-related diseases generally develop as a direct result of
chronic irritation and inflammation in the lungs. Ongoing lung
inflammation causes the formation of scar tissue that cannot perform the
necessary functions of normal healthy lung tissue.
Asbestosis occurs when lung damage becomes so severe
that non-functional scar tissue present in the lungs prevents normal
breathing. However, because lungs have a ‘reserve’ capacity, the disease
is already considerably advanced before an individual begins showing
symptoms. Asbestosis is most common in people who experience regular
exposure to high concentrations of airborne asbestos fibers, such as
people who have worked in the manufacturing of asbestos products,
particularly textiles. This disease is only caused by exposure to
asbestos. In America, four in every 10,000 people currently suffer from
asbestosis.
Lung Cancer is almost always fatal, regardless of
the carcinogen involved. People who are exposed to asbestos have an
increased risk of developing lung cancer. The risk is compounded by
smoking.
Mesothelioma is a rare but invariably fatal form of
cancer that most commonly develops in the lining of the lungs, and
occasionally develops in the lining of the abdominal cavity or heart.
Mesothelioma cancers are caused only by exposure to asbestos. Currently,
around three thousand new cases of mesothelioma are diagnosed each year
in America. For additional information on
mesothelioma treatment,
please see the resources at
Asbestos.com.
Pleural Abnormalities caused by exposure to asbestos
include thickening, and plaques. Pleural thickening occurs when
asbestos-related scarring causes the walls of the lungs to thicken, and
can cause shortness of breath. Pleural plaques are dense bands of scar
tissue that form in the lungs. People who develop pleural plaques are
believed to have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. For
additional information on pleural plaques and pleural mesothelioma,
please see the resources at
Asbestos.com.
Other Cancers such as gastrointestinal cancer,
colorectal cancer and cancers of the larynx, throat, and kidneys may
also have an increased risk of developing in people who are exposed to
asbestos.
Preventing Asbestos-Related Disease
Successfully preventing the development of asbestos-related
diseases—particularly asbestosis and mesothelioma, which are caused by
asbestos exposure—is completely dependent on limiting exposure to
asbestos. Since mesothelioma and
asbestos cancer are both
caused by exposure to asbestos, these diseases can be prevented by
avoiding asbestos exposure. In addition, the increased risk of lung
cancer and other serious diseases can be prevented.
Protective measures such as a respirator with a HEPA filter, and
protective coveralls and other clothing, should be used whenever
asbestos exposure is a known risk. Employers must also, according to
OSHA regulations, regularly monitor air quality in areas where asbestos
is used, and provide their employees with other safety measures that
protect them from asbestos exposure.
Where asbestos is present in residential homes, the risk of
developing asbestos-related diseases is much reduced in comparison to
the risks for occupational exposure. In residential, commercial, and
public buildings, the risks are reduced by encapsulating or enclosing
asbestos-containing materials, and by removing such materials when
necessary.
For more information on For more information on the variety
of asbestos uses and
mesothelioma,
please visit
www.asbestos.com.
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