Asbestos
Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral first used
by the Greeks and Romans in clothes and building materials.
The American asbestos industry started to take off after
World War II and reached its peak in the 1970s when asbestos
was used in more than 4,000 different products. The extreme
popularity of asbestos was due to its versatility and
relatively inexpensive manufacturing costs.
Asbestos is composed of long, thin fibers that naturally
occur in the form of a compressed, solid mass. There
are six different types of asbestos, which are sorted
into two separate categories. The first category, amphilole,
includes types of asbestos characterized by long straight
fibers. Five of the six types of asbestos fall under
this category: amosite, crocidolite, actinolite, anthophyllite,
tremolite. Serpentine, the second category, includes
chrysotile, a type of asbestos characterized by curly
fiber structure. Only three types of asbestos are found
in the United States: chrysotile, amosite, and crocidolite.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis, also known as diffuse pulmonary fibrosis,
is an extremely debilitating and potentially fatal disease
caused by asbestos
exposure. Unlike mesothelioma,
asbestosis usually develops when a person is exposed
to high levels of asbestos over a prolonged period of
time. When asbestos is inhaled into the lungs, the fibers
eventually collect in the alveoli, which are the tiny
sacs in the lungs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are
exchanged between the lungs and bloodstream. Fibrous
scar tissue begins to build up in the lungs, eventually
becoming so severe that the lungs cannot supply the body
with sufficient oxygen. Although asbestosis is not a
cancer, it can be just as deadly as mesothelioma. The
excess scar tissue may lead to heart failure or severe
respiratory problems and even death.
Asbestosis is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms
are not unique to the disease. In fact, asbestosis symptoms
are often associated with very common health problems
like obesity and emphysema. The most common symptoms
of asbestosis are chest pain, shortness of breath, dry
cough, and coughing spasms. Asbestosis subsequently weakens
the body’s immune system, making the sufferer more
susceptible to contracting secondary diseases such as
pneumonia.
There is no known cure for asbestosis. As the disease
progresses, the network of scar tissue continues to accumulate
in the lungs and become more complex, which makes early
detection essential to effective treatment of the disease.
Physicians treating a patient with asbestos focus primarily
on preventative measures and relief of immediate symptoms.
Patients are advised to immediately eliminate exposure
to asbestos, quit smoking, and avoid large crowds where
they could contract secondary diseases. The coughing
and shortness of breath are often treated with supplemental
oxygen, humidifiers, or breathing therapies.
For more information about asbestosis, mesothelioma and
your legal rights, please don’t hesitate to contact
a qualified asbestos attorney today.
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