Asbestos Related Illness

Anyone that has had an extended period of exposure to asbestos is at a very high risk to develop asbestos related illnesses such as lung cancer or asbestosis. Asbestos is defined as a mineral fiber that is in the air or the dust of buildings and homes, especially ones built between the 1930s and 1950s. Asbestos has been used to strengthen concrete, insulate homes, insulate boilers of ships and much more. Asbestos was first used in the North America area in the 1800s and is still present in roughly 5,000 different products today even though manufacturers and retailers know the risks associated with asbestos. Many people across the country are exposed, in small doses, to asbestos every day of the week. It is when people are exposed to large amounts of asbestos for extended periods of time that health problems will begin to develop. The one thing that worries most people around asbestos is that symptoms from asbestos related illnesses do not begin to show up until anywhere from 10 to 40 years following original exposure to the airborne fibers. Anyone working in construction, demolition, shipping, mining, automotive break and clutch repair and other industries are most suspect to developing an asbestos related illness. People with extended exposure to asbestos can develop mesothelioma, lung cancer, and asbestosis. Asbestosis is the development of lung scarring or fibrosis within the lungs. Mesothelioma is the development of a tumor of the membranes which surround the lungs.

Asbestos can be found almost anywhere in your home, especially if it is more than 30 years old, and should not be bothered if it is in good condition. If you bother asbestos that is in good condition you will cause the fibers to break off into the air and cause residents of the house to become sick. Asbestos can be found in one or more of the following areas according to the United States Department Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration:

• Cement pipes, wallboard and siding
• Asphalt floor tile
• Vinyl flooring and wall covering
• Construction glues
• Acoustic and decorative plaster
• Duct, pipe, and boiler insulation
• Heating and electrical ducts
• Ceiling tiles
• Sprayed and blown-in insulation
• Fireproofing materials
• Laboratory gloves
• Elevator equipment panels
• Chalkboards
• Roofing felt and shingles
• Caulking, putties, joint compound, spackling compound
• Textured paints and coatings

The symptoms of asbestos related illnesses include but are not limited to shortness of breath, coughing, chest pain and bloody sputum. Also visible on a routine chest x-ray would be plague on the lungs. Plague on the lungs can cause the shortness of breath and the blood in the sputum and develops over time with exposure to asbestos. Just because you have these symptoms it doesn’t mean that you have asbestos. Always get checked out by a doctor before contacting an attorney and claiming that you have an asbestos related illness. But, if you know that you have worked in an asbestos affected area or have lived in an asbestos affected area then you more than likely have an asbestos related illness.