If you have been exposed to asbestos over a long period of time, chances are that you have contracted Mesothilioma. Mesothilioma (or another spelling is Mesothelioma) is a condition whereby the mesothlilium in the abdomen and surrounding the organs is affected and the cells which comprise these structures are changed to become abnormal (think cancer).

Mesothilioma is a silent killer because of its ability to slowly and silently build up the abnormal cells in the body over a period of years ( sometimes even decades) and not show any outward signs of the disease. After it reaches a critical point, the symptoms are prevalent and the disease makes itself known. Early treatment of the disease leads to a better chance of living a longer life.

Mesothlioma is primarily caused by the inhalation of asbestos particles. The particles are inhaled into the lungs and the particles worm their way into the soft tissues of the lungs and other organs. From there, these particles start to affect the mesothelium surrounding the internal organs. A mass of abnormal cells is created and metastasizes to the other organs where it slowly builds up until the latter stages. It is during the latter stages that it causes the organs to stop working properly.

The symptoms make themselves know about two or three decades from the initial exposure to asbestos. Since the incubation period is so long, the disease typically affects older people ( although it has affected people as young as 40).

The symptoms of Mesothilioma are usually masked by other ailments. It is this disguise that makes it hard to diagnose the disease. And since the disease is typically not diagnosed until the late stages, the typical prognosis a patient can receive is that they will live a maximum of another two years (although some have lived longer). If Mesothilioma is caught at an earlier stage and aggressively treated, the survival period more than doubles to at least five years. By following a strict treatment of medicine and diet the patient can expect to live at least five years from diagnosis if caught early. However, it is important to realize that at the present time, this disease is not curable. The most the treatment will do is to prolong the patient’s life for a few years.

So what are the symptoms of Mesothilioma? The problem is that they resemble very closely many of the other lung conditions or other less harmful diseases. The symptoms are, but not limited to; chest pain, short breath, coughing and weight loss.

More information on Mesothilioma can be found from other sources online.