Asbestos Health Effects | Asbestosis

Asbestos Health Effects

Asbestos Health Effects

Exposure to airborne friable asbestos may result in a potential health risk because people breathing the air may also breathe in asbestos fibers. Continued exposure can increase the amount of fibers that remain in the lung. Fibers embedded in lung tissue over time may cause serious lung diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a serious, progressive, long-term, non-cancerous disease of the lungs. It is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers that irritate lung tissues and cause the tissues to scar. The scarring makes it hard for oxygen to get into the blood. Symptoms of asbestosis include shortness of breath, and a dry, crackling sound in the lungs while inhaling. There is no effective treatment for asbestosis.

Lung Cancer

Lung cancer causes the largest number of deaths related to asbestos exposure. People who work in the mining, milling, manufacturing of asbestos, and those who use asbestos and its products are more likely to develop lung cancer than the general population. The most common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing and a change in breathing. Other symptoms include shortness of breath, persistent chest pains, hoarseness, and anemia. People who have been exposed to asbestos and are also exposed to some other cancer- causing product, such as cigarette smoke, have a greater risk of developing lung cancer than people who have only been exposed to asbestos.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining (membrane) of the lung, chest, abdomen, and heart and almost all cases are linked to exposure to asbestos. This disease may not show up until many years after asbestos exposure. Click here to visit our mesothelioma page.
Schedule an appointment with our mesothelioma lawyers if you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma. Please call  (312) 466-1669 
Connelly & Vogelzang:  Mesothelioma Lawyers / Mesothelioma Attorneys