Asbestos And Your Health

Asbestos was used in the 19Th Century in manufacturing and builders because of it's sound absorption and strength. They also used it because they liked the fact that it was resistant to heat,electrical and chemical damage if asbestos was mixed with cement it was also fire resistant. They used asbestos in buildings for electrical insulation and because it was flame resistant. In the late 1970's they stopped using asbestos and started removing it from buildings and homes because people started getting sick from the exposure of asbestos due to the dust and fibers. The sickness that the people were diagnosed with is called Mesothelioma.

Approximately 3000 Americans are diagnosed with Mesothelioma each year. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that develops from the protective lining that covers many of the body's internal organs. This rare cancer is caused from exposure to asbestos.

People who develop Mesothelioma are individuals who worked on jobs where they inhaled the asbestos particles,dust or fibers in other ways. These other way's could be from you standing next to a person that was exposed which is called second hand, also a person that was exposed could of brought the fibers home with them and got them on a blanket. Asbestos is like an epidemic that is moved from one area to another and the dust is air borne. Asbestos can also be in a popcorn ceiling right at home if your house was built in the early 1970's. Mesothelioma can lie dormant for several years or a person who has it doesn't realize they have it until it's condition worsens.

The most common site for Mesothelioma is the outer lining of the lungs called the Pleura. The sign of the cancer is Pleural Infusion which is fluid between the lung and chest wall which causes shortness of breathe,chest wall pain.Mesothelioma is unlike the lung cancer you get from smoking and there is no association between the two but smoking can lead to other cancers.

A diagnosis of This site for Mesothelioma would be from a chest X Ray or a CT Scan. If these X Rays confirm that you have the cancer then a biopsy which is a tissue sample and a microscopic exam would probably be performed. They have treatment for this form of cancer but the prognosis is poor.

Another site for Mesothelioma to show up is in the abdominal cavity. Any tumor found in that area is referred to as Peritoneal Mesothelioma.

The other location for Mesothelioma involves the lining around the heart and this is called Pericardial Mesothelioma.

Additional Symptoms from this rare cancer are back,chest,side pain,difficulty swallowing,cough and fatigue. If you or your loved one have experienced any of these symptoms and have been exposed to asbestos seek medical attention immediately.