Is it possible to catch Asbestos from someone else that has it?

Many cases of mesothelioma in women are a result of household exposure to someone who worked directly with asbestos. The women's husbands returned home from work with asbestos dust on their clothes, shoes, and body. When the wives washed the husband's clothes, they were exposed to the dust. The constant inhalation of the asbestos-contaminated fibers resulted in the development of asbestos-caused diseases such as mesothelioma years later. Your grandmother was likely exposed to asbestos in the same way when your grandfather came home from the steel mills.

Mesothelioma is a disease where symptoms do not manifest themselves until anywhere from 20-50 years after exposure to asbestos. There are several types of mesothelioma with varying symptoms. But the following symptoms may indicate some form of mesothelioma:

• shortness of breath/difficulty breathing
• coughing
• chest or abdomen pain
• weight loss/loss of appetite
• difficulty swallowing

Your grandmother will need to be diagnosed by a doctor to determine if she in fact has mesothelioma.