Asbestos Exposure Can Lead to Asbestosis, Mesothelioma, and Death

Asbestos  - Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has been deemed the cause of several life-threatening illnesses. Exposure to the toxic mineral can lead to among other things, asbestosis, mesothelioma, and death. Found in several commonly used products through the 1980s such as home insulation, brake pads, and floor tiles, the toxin also can contribute to skin tissue lesions and breathing difficulties. Its fibers cause scarring and lesions in the lungs when inhaled. Most related symptoms or ailments do not show up until years after a person is exposed. A person may even go 40 years or more, before experiencing any symptoms.

The disturbing increase in the number of pleural mesothelioma cases, and others related to exposure to asbestos has demonstrated the risk of a multitude of laborers, who performed construction, auto repair, ship building, and other duties that involved asbestos exposure from the 1940s to the 1980s, becoming ill.

What is Mesothelioma? Mesothelioma is a common lung cancer type that is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. The fibers scar the lungs’ outer lining, which overtime develops into pleural mesothelioma. Symptoms of this type include chest pain, coughing up blood, chronic fatigue, and stomach pain. If the fibers settle in one’s abdominal area, the condition becomes peritoneal mesothelioma. Both are equally deadly, and there is no cure for either disease. However there are treatments to help alleviate symptoms including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery.

What is Asbestosis? Asbestosis is also referred to as pulmonary fibrosis. It is a non-cancerous disease of the lungs that can also result from inhaling asbestos fibers. The disease causes inflammation and scar tissue that causes the lungs to stiffen, and inhibits one’s breathing, resulting in a chronic cough. A diagnosis of asbestosis can increase one’s risk of other respiratory issues, and therefore smoking is inadvisable. Victims of asbestos may be entitled to recover damages, and should contact a personal injury lawyer immediately.

Exposure to Asbestos - Before the US government restricted asbestos use, many companies chose to disregard the health risk of asbestos, and not protect employees from exposure. As a result, even after the new regulations of the 1970s, thousands of workers became victims of life-threatening illnesses related to prior exposure.

Exposure to asbestos can cause not only asbestosis and mesothelioma, but lung cancer as well.

For these victims, it is important to first seek immediate medical attention, and then consult the services of a qualified personal injury lawyer that specializes in asbestos exposure related cases.

Do You Have an Asbestos Exposure Related Claim?

If you suffer from asbestosis, mesothelioma, or lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure, your illness may entitle you to compensation. Consult a mesothelioma lawyer who specializes in these types of cases.

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