Side Effects of Asbestos Exposure
The side effects resulting from asbestos exposure have been a topic of great concern in recent years. Asbestos has been identified as a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. No level of exposure to asbestos is known to be safe, and in fact, inhaled asbestos fibers can have serious side effects on human health. Smoking or exposure to cigarette smoke, combined with exposure to asbestos, greatly increases the likelihood of developing lung cancer.
The greater the amount and time of exposure to asbestos, the greater the risk of developing serious side effects, such as malignant mesothelioma. The length of time between exposure to asbestos and the first signs of disease can be as much as 50 years.
Malignant Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma is one of the more serious side effect of asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is a very serious form of cancer affecting the smooth lining of the chest, lungs, heart and abdomen. Between 2,000 and 3,000 new cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year - and this number continues to rise.
Mesothelioma often goes undetected until symptoms appear - typically decades after the initial asbestos exposure. While advances are being made almost daily in mesothelioma research and treatments, at this time malignant mesothelioma is considered to be a terminal disease. As in all cancers, early diagnosis and treatment offer the best hope for a favorable outcome in a patient with malignant mesothelioma.
Other Side Effects of Asbestos Exposure
Besides causing cancer, breathing asbestos can also cause a side effect called asbestosis, a slow accumulation of scar-like tissue in the lungs. Because the scar-like tissue does not expand and contract like normal lung tissue, breathing becomes difficult and blood flow to the lung may be decreased, causing the heart to enlarge. Changes in the lining of the lungs-such as thickening and fluid around the lungs-may be early signs of asbestos-related side effects.
The side effects from swallowing asbestos are less clear. Some people who have been exposed to asbestos fibers in their drinking water have higher-than-average death rates from cancer of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines; however, a definite link to asbestos exposure has not been determined in these cases.
When asbestos fibers penetrate the skin, non-malignant warts may emerge as another unpleasant side effect of asbestos exposure.
The side effects resulting from asbestos exposure have been a topic of great concern in recent years. Asbestos has been identified as a carcinogen (cancer-causing substance) by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. No level of exposure to asbestos is known to be safe, and in fact, inhaled asbestos fibers can have serious side effects on human health. Smoking or exposure to cigarette smoke, combined with exposure to asbestos, greatly increases the likelihood of developing lung cancer.
The greater the amount and time of exposure to asbestos, the greater the risk of developing serious side effects, such as malignant mesothelioma. The length of time between exposure to asbestos and the first signs of disease can be as much as 50 years.
Malignant Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma is one of the more serious side effect of asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is a very serious form of cancer affecting the smooth lining of the chest, lungs, heart and abdomen. Between 2,000 and 3,000 new cases of malignant mesothelioma are diagnosed in the United States each year - and this number continues to rise.
Mesothelioma often goes undetected until symptoms appear - typically decades after the initial asbestos exposure. While advances are being made almost daily in mesothelioma research and treatments, at this time malignant mesothelioma is considered to be a terminal disease. As in all cancers, early diagnosis and treatment offer the best hope for a favorable outcome in a patient with malignant mesothelioma.
Other Side Effects of Asbestos Exposure
Besides causing cancer, breathing asbestos can also cause a side effect called asbestosis, a slow accumulation of scar-like tissue in the lungs. Because the scar-like tissue does not expand and contract like normal lung tissue, breathing becomes difficult and blood flow to the lung may be decreased, causing the heart to enlarge. Changes in the lining of the lungs-such as thickening and fluid around the lungs-may be early signs of asbestos-related side effects.
The side effects from swallowing asbestos are less clear. Some people who have been exposed to asbestos fibers in their drinking water have higher-than-average death rates from cancer of the esophagus, stomach, and intestines; however, a definite link to asbestos exposure has not been determined in these cases.
When asbestos fibers penetrate the skin, non-malignant warts may emerge as another unpleasant side effect of asbestos exposure.
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