Asbestos Information That May Surprise You

Asbestos Perth is an extremely common mineral found in many buildings today. It was used as an insulating material for many years, both inside and outside of buildings. Unfortunately, asbestos is extremely hazardous to humans, and it has been linked to many different cancers. So, it’s very important to know what this dangerous material is, how it works, and how to get rid of it safely. Here’s what you need to know about asbestos.

Asbestos

Asbestos is primarily a silicate mineral. There are six different varieties, all of which are made up of thin and long fiber crystals, each of them made up of millions of microscopic “fibers” that are released into the air through abrasion and other physical processes. Any person that has been exposed to more than two million fibers can be considered a candidate for asbestos exposure. If exposed, there is evidence that asbestos can cause many different types of cancer, including mesothelioma, which is a form of chest cancer. Asbestos also causes other diseases, including pleural plaques, which cause chronic irritation to the lining of the lungs, and breast cancer, which affects the tissue around the breast.

Asbestosis, on the other hand, causes the development of scar tissue in the lungs. As with most lung diseases, there are no current cures for Asbestosis, but there are plenty of prevention measures. By not being around too much asbestos debris (which consists of chrysotile dust, asbestos fibers, and other materials), you can greatly reduce your risk of developing Asbestosis. Additionally, smokers are more likely to suffer from asbestos-related diseases as it is inhaled.

The main way that asbestos fibers are introduced into a person’s lungs is by breathing in fumes made by burning buildings containing the mineral. Asbestos fibers will become airborne after the building is inhabited by people, and it can take up to ten hours before asbestos fibers can make it out of the air. Additionally, some asbestos fibers are sticky and will cling to the lining of a person’s lungs, and they may remain there, trapped, until lung disease sets in.

If you were exposed to asbestos materials, you could do things to decrease your risk of developing cancer. First, if you were exposed to more than two thousand pounds of asbestos in your place of employment, you are a good candidate for Asbestosis. However, you do not have to be an asbestos worker to show symptoms of Asbestosis. In fact, you might be exposed to asbestos, yet have never shown signs of illness because the tiny fibers within your lungs have not become airborne.

It is true that the long-term health effects of asbestos exposure are not yet clear, and research is still continuing. It has been discovered that asbestosis symptoms can include Asbestosis in the lining of a person’s lungs (pleural effusion), chronic coughs, shortness of breath, pleuritic pain, and diffuse pleural thickening. However, these symptoms may also develop into something else, so it is very important to visit your doctor regularly, particularly if you believe that you have developed one of the other health effects listed above. Because Asbestos fibers can remain airborne for years after a person becomes exposed to them, it is possible to suffer from Asbestosis, and not even know it, and many people never realize that they have asbestos in their homes until after a massive lung cancer lawsuit has been brought against them.

Another form of Asbestos-related lung cancer that has been associated with asbestos itself is pleural plaques. Pleural plaques are actually small growths that begin on the surface of a person’s lungs, and they can eventually grow into the trachea. The Pleura is the cartilage within the lungs, and they play a significant role in breathing. If there are large amounts of asbestos in a person’s lungs, the Pleura can become inflamed over time, and they can actually become cancerous. Pleural plaques are thought to be related to Asbestosis, because they have been found to contain asbestos fibers.