Asbestos And Cancer
Asbestos And Cancer
Asbestos And Lung Cancer
Asbestos is favorite builders material because flexible, corrosion resistant, strong, good insulator and burn resistant. Until this time, there are not many materials with these qualities and may explain why it was so widely used. But, if asbestos containing materials are disturbed or damages it becomes hazardous because asbestos is made up of microscopic bundles of fibers. When it is happen, these fibers separate and may become airborne. If fibers get into the lungs may lead to dangerous and maybe fatal diseases.
Relationship between asbestos and cancer is very tight but asbestos does not always cause cancer. Some of disease caused by asbestos are :
Asbestosis is not lung cancer. Inhalation of asbestos fibers over a long period of time, the reasons for this. This disease is twenty five to forty years to develop. As asbestos fibers become trapped in the lungs, the body produces acid to try to eliminate these fibers. Continued acid production can possibly scarring in the lungs. In excessive amounts can cause scarring in the lungs to function properly. This can lead to serious breathing difficulties. If asbestosis is untreated it can lead to heart failure. At present there is no effective treatment for this disease. People who renovate or demolish buildings containing asbestos are most at risk of asbestosis. The chances of getting the disease through physical contact with a person who works with asbestos is minimal. People who worked in the shipyards were the first diagnosis of asbestosis.
Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the pleura (the outer membrane covering the lungs and chest cavity) or peritoneum (membrane lining the walls of the abdominal cavity). Unlike other forms of cancer, there is only one known cause of mesothelioma. Studies show that people who work in areas containing asbestos, such as mines, refineries, factories and shipyards, or the manufacture and installation of asbestos are at greater risk of mesothelioma. You can also put in danger if you live with the person exposed to asbestos or near an area containing asbestos. Studies also show that youth are more likely to contract mesothelioma when they inhale asbestos. That is why the people making great efforts to protect children against exposure to asbestos.
Lung cancer can also be associated with exposure to asbestos. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death among diseases caused by exposure to asbestos. It can worsen the effects of lung cancer by about fifty percent if you start smoking. People who work in professions where they are directly involved in handling asbestos are at greater risk of lung cancer. Exposure to asbestos and other carcinogens as cigarette smoke, puts you at increased risk of contracting lung cancer than exposure to asbestos. A study indicates that exposure to asbestos and smoke, you ninety-ten times more likely to contract lung cancer than those not exposed to both. Some of the symptoms of lung cancer include a cough, a violation of breath, chest pain and anemia. It usually takes fifteen to thirty years of exposure to asbestos in lung cancer.