(429) The Dangers of Asbestos To Your Health

Asbestos is a name given to several naturally occurring silicate fibrous minerals. It is heat resistant and robust, explaining why it is used in making a wide range of products. Asbestos has been used in making asbestos cement pipes and sheets, roofing, brake and clutch linings, and various building materials.

While asbestos is highly valuable in manufacturing, it is not suitable for your health. This is why asbestos testing is necessary to check whether there are any deposits in your home. Below are some of the dangers asbestos poses to your health.

Asbestosis

Contrary to what most people believe, asbestosis is not a form of cancer. Instead, it is a progressive and chronic lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos deposits over a long period. It may take between five to 20 years for asbestosis symptoms to develop.

The inhaled and accumulated asbestos fibers produce fibrosis of the lung. This makes the lung develop a honeycomb appearance and structure. The fibrosis, or scar tissue, is inflexible and rigid. Such conditions make the lungs stiffen and prevent them from functioning efficiently.

Pleural Disorders

Another condition caused by asbestos is pleural disorders. Pleura is the tissue that lines the chest cavity and effectively covers the lung surface. When you are exposed to asbestos, it may produce thickened patches on the pleura.

There might also be widespread fibrosis of the pleural effusions and chest cavity. This explains why you need asbestos testing to check whether your home is affected. Generally, pleural disorders show up on chest x-rays.

Thankfully, the condition is not cancerous. Even though they might not cause symptoms, pleural disorders will significantly affect the performance of the lungs. This will result in conditions like shortness of breath or coughing.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is one of the major ailments caused by exposure to asbestos. This condition takes around 20 to 40 years to develop. People that haven’t been exposed to asbestos for long are also at risk of developing mesothelioma.

This chronic condition mostly affects the lungs but doesn’t have the same effects as lung cancer. Besides, mesothelioma can also affect the lower abdomen, though this type is less common.

Lung Cancer

You are also likely to develop lung cancer after asbestos exposure. Many years of exposure to this product will trigger the development of lung cancer. If you are worried about developing this condition, seek medical assistance immediately.

Keep Off Asbestos

Asbestos is hazardous to your health. As much as it has many industrial uses, it can cause chronic conditions like lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Author bio- Building off over 3 decades of experience from working with his father Jim Mayfield (Mayfield Enterprises, Inc.), James mastered the industry in Foremanship for over 15 years on HAZMAT and Superfund Sites throughout Southern California. Among many other partners, we has worked with Project Navigator, RE Solutions, Crew Grading Inc., WSP, SCS Engineers, TRC Corporation, GeoSyntec, NV5 Environmental, Entact Corp, Waste by Rail, Michael Baker, ERRG, O&M Corp, Largo Concrete, B&D Construction, Xebec, WorkSmart, JLL Enterprises, Mayfield Enterprises, Inc., Arcadis, and more. In addition to being a Stanford-educated Professor with over 30 publications and books in several languages (see Academic Resume), James’ real passion lies in Construction-related Project Management, Environmental Cleanups, HAZMAT, Excavation, and Field Labor. We are also Minority-Owned. James Mayfield is a Native American citizen of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas & Nebraska.

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