To understand the increase in Asbestos Injury lets look at what asbestos actually is and why it is so dangerous. Asbestos is a group of six naturally occurring fibrous minerals with high tensile strength and resistant to fire, heat, electrical and chemical damage. Because of their desirable physical properties, asbestos fibers are used in wide range of household applications and industries causing Asbestos Injury. It is popular among manufacturers and builders, because asbestos is used in manufactured goods like roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, paper and cement products, coatings and electrical insulation applications. And also, asbestos is used in textile industries, automobile friction products such as clutch, brake and transmission parts. So Asbestos Injury is on the increase.
People who work for these industries are bound to get exposed to asbestos, prolonged exposure to high levels of asbestos can cause health problems. During exposure, asbestos enters respiratory system through inhalation, which can cause serious illnesses such as: mesothelioma, lung cancer and asbestosis. Therefore, people who get exposed to high levels of asbestos are advised to consult health-care-provider on regular basis. And, health-care-provider may advise investigations such as X-ray, MRI or CT scan, on frequent intervals to rule out lung disease caused by asbestos exposure.
Asbestosis the cause of so many Asbestos Injury
It is a chronic inflammatory condition of the lungs caused by inhalation and retention of the asbestos fibers. Asbestosis is a non-cancerous disease, which affects parenchymal tissue of the lungs to cause fibrosis. It occurs after high intensity and long-term exposure to asbestos, and it is considered as occupational lung disease. Asbestosis doesn’t occur immediately after exposure, but rather may take many years to develop. The risk for developing asbestosis is high with people who have had exposure to asbestosis for ten years or more. The inhaled asbestos gets deposited in the lungs and irritate lung tissue to cause scarring [especially terminal bronchioles and alveolar ducts], which makes hard for oxygen to get into the blood. Since the disease development is slow, the symptoms of asbestosis are slow in onset. Initial symptom is shortness of breath, especially on exertion. Gradually, lung function decreases and may lead to respiratory failure. There is no cure for Asbestosis, but supportive treatment can provide symptomatic relief, such as physiotherapy and nebulization. At home, oxygen therapy needs be given to relieve breathlessness and to correct underlying hypoxia.
Mesothelioma Asbestos Injury
This is a rare form cancer that develops from the protective lining of the body’s internal organs, known as mesothelium and is the biggest Asbestos Injury. The mesothelium layer forms protective lining of thoracic cavity to protect lungs, lines peritoneal cavity to protect abdominal organs, and it lines pericardium to protect heart in heart sac. The inhaled asbestos gets embedded in the mesothelium lining and causes inflammation and scarring of the mesothelium. The scarring and inflammation cause contestant irritation to the mesothelium lining, and constant irritation leads to development of malignant mesothelioma, over a period of time. It takes more than ten years for changes to appear that are indicative of cancer, and may take more than 20 years for symptoms to manifest. The symptoms of mesothelioma include shortness of breath, chest pain, painful breathing, coughing of blood, unexplained weight loss, difficulty swallowing and lumps below the chest skin. Mesothelioma is also not curable, but there are different treatment options available to treat the cancer. Diagnosis and treatment ofan mesothelioma Asbestos Injury at earlier stages can increase the patient’s life expectancy.
