Potential health issues when exposed to Asbestos

Asbestos is a collection of minerals that is made up of tiny fibers that are used for building materials, brake linings,fireproofing, electrical insulation and chemical filters. Exposure to asbestos can cause serious medical health issues that can be harmful and deadly. Breathing asbestos into your lungs can cause some of the fibers to lodge in the air passages and onto the cells that make up your lungs. Some of these fibers can remain captured in your lungs and cause serious respiratory damage. Other fibers that pass through the lungs are transported in a coating of mucus to the throat, where they will be swallowed down into the stomach. They could get hung in the membranes lining, stomach or intestines, or dispensed through the body by the blood. These fibers can possibly create genetic problems in cell division that could lead to cancer.

The most common diseases that are associated with asbestos exposure are Malignant Mesothelioma, Asbestosis, Asbestos Pleural Disease and Asbestos Lung Cancer.
Malignant Mesothelioma – this is an infrequent form of cancer that impacts the thin membranes that line the abdomen and chest.
Asbestosis – this is a nonmalignant disease that causes the lung tissue to scar.
Asbestos Pleural Disease – this a nonmalignant disease that leads to scarring on the thin membranes lining, the chest and lung.
Asbestos Lung Cancer – this is cancer of the lung.

Asbestos also can cause other serious medical conditions including cancer of the digestive tract, larynx, colon, kidney, esophagus and certain types of lymphomas. Asbestos exposure can cause serious life threatening conditions and all caution should be used with any exposure or handling of asbestos. Sometimes there is not enough exposure to the asbestos to create health problems. However, there are sometimes that even a small amount of exposure can later cause upper respiratory problems. Consult a medical doctor if you have had any contact with asbestos.