Asbestosis Lawyer

Asbestos lung mesothelioma is caused by the asbestos fibers that have attached themselves to the lungs. The fibers enter the body through inhalation. The fibers scar the mesothelium, the lungs’ protective coating. This eventually leads to the ailment.

Symptoms

These include pain in the chest, lethargy, difficulty breathing and coughing. As the condition worsens, other symptoms manifest. These include fluid in the chest cavities, vomiting and coughing up blood. As the disease reaches its final stage, blood clots will appear throughout the body.

Weight loss will take place. Other health complications will arise, like cell damage, stroke and the deterioration of various organs in the body. Sugar levels will go very low or high. The liver will also deteriorate in very severe cases. Problems range from jaundice to the total collapse of the liver.

Treatment

Various treatments may be used. Surgery can be performed to take out
the tumors or any developing tumors. Radiation therapy may be attempted to destroy the cancer, or at least keep it from spreading. Immunotherapy may also be tried. Because the disease causes pain, various painkillers are administered.

If other health ailments arise, additional medication will be given. If the illness is discovered early, recovery is possible. If asbestos lung mesothelioma is not detected early, it will be fatal. The 2009 stats show that less than 10% of patients live longer than five years. However, this illness is not contagious.

Who are at Risk?

The Mesothelioma Awareness Center stats show thousands of people contract the disease every year. Those who are most susceptible are people who work in industries that use asbestos (i.e., shipbuilding, factories, mining, construction, etc).

The disease can take years to manifest. Some cases take 20 to 50 years to emerge following the exposure. By the time the disease is recognized as asbestos related, the victims are in their 50s or 70s. Many cases actually date back from the 60s or 70s. Back then the dangers of asbestos were not well known.

However there are also instances wherein mesothelioma develops quickly. Aside from the lungs, the disease could start in the abdomen.

The symptoms of the disease are similar to other ailments. But if you have ever done work that exposed you to asbestos, have yourself examined immediately by the doctor.

Mesothelioma and Lung Cancer

Lung cancer caused by asbestos takes several years before it emerges. This makes it difficult to determine if the cancer was caused by asbestos or not. However, research shows that majority of mesothelioma sufferers will get lung cancer.

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is a fibrous mineral. Since the Second World War it has become widely used in many applications and industries. Once these fibers go to the body, the threat of the disease will emerge.

There are other asbestos diseases that can afflict a person. They include asbestosis and other types of lung cancer. The symptoms for these diseases are chest pain, coughing of blood and fatigue.

Asbestos lung mesothelioma is a painful and often fatal disease. For this reason, it is imperative that you seek medical attention as soon as possible.

No related topics.