Asbestos is well known to be a dangerous substance that you should avoid, but unfortunately, this is not always a choice that we have; at times, contact with asbestos is unavoidable. Something else to consider is that people who have had contact with the substance do not always go on to develop health problems relating to asbestos.
The risk of disease depends on several factors, including how much asbestos is in the air, how often and for how long exposure occurs, how much time has passed since exposure began, whether the person in question already had underlying health problems to do with breathing and whether the person currently smokes or had smoked in the past.
Throughout this article, we will be going through some of the most significant impacts of asbestos on your health and advice for people worried about recent exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos Related Illnesses:
Lung Cancer
It is widely known that smoking is a significant cause of lung cancer; a person’s risk of developing lung cancer increases by a factor of ten by smoking and five when they have been exposed to asbestos. If you are someone who has been exposed to both, your risk of developing lung cancer will increase by more than fifty times, which is incredibly concerning.
Mesothelioma
This is a different cancer, much rarer than lung cancer; this particular form of cancer is an aggressive and deadly form of cancer; treatments are available, but only for people who have caught the disease in its early development stages. Mesothelioma affects the tissue of different organs, typically surrounding the lung area, but at times, this condition has been known to attach itself to the heart, abdomen or testicles.
Pleural disease
This is a non-cancerous disease that affects the lungs; in some cases, the membrane surrounding the lungs may become thicker, meaning it will make it harder for the individual to breathe, and then in other instances, fluid would build up around the lungs, again making it difficult for the individual to breathe correctly.
Asbestosis
Probably one of the most well-known illnesses attached to exposure to asbestos. It can be complicated to discover that you have Asbestosis as it can take up to 30 years for symptoms to appear, including shortness of breath, wheezing, extreme tiredness and shooting pain in your shoulder or chest. There is no current cure for this condition, but there is treatment to make you feel more comfortable while you are suffering.
Advice To Those Concerned About Recent Asbestos Exposure
If you have recently come into contact with asbestos, making an appointment with your GP for a check-up is entirely necessary; from these initial tests, your GP will decide whether you need further tests. Once you have been exposed to asbestos, this is not something that can then be removed from the lungs, as it can take up to 30 years to develop severe symptoms; with this being the case, make sure you have regular health checks to ensure you do not miss any signs of one of the diseases mentioned.
Something you can do personally is quit smoking and also do your best to avoid any asbestos going forward, in a bid to avoid asbestos you may need to organize an asbestos survey, an asbestos survey Kent can be organized with Asbestos Gone to make sure that you and your loved ones never need to worry about coming into contact with asbestos again.
The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.
