If you had a single contact with asbestos, there is little health risk. But if you are in frequent contact with asbestos increases the risk significantly, regardless of the variety of asbestos to which you are exposed.
The risk of passing air respirable fibers increases during the handling of asbestos-containing materials, eg in demolition work, cutting, drilling, breakage or when materials are very aged. That is why this sector of the population is potentially exposed as well, in general, totally unaware of its presence and its dangers.
For this reason the people whose profession is exposed to asbestos, such as demolition and maintenance work, should always wear personal protective equipment (PPE).
The main route of entry of asbestos is the airway. The asbestos fibers, due to its aerodynamic characteristics, small size and elongated shape, can stay airborne long enough to pose a respiratory risk. Also, can adhere to clothing and skin and discard later with the risk of inhalation. Exposure to asbestos can cause irreversible three types of disease:
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is the leading cause of death related to asbestos in exposed patients.
Every fiber of asbestos can cause cancer, although crocidolite (blue asbestos) is the most carcinogenic of all. It is believed that asbestos acts as a co-carcinogens next to snuff, as lung cancer induction is well known. Lung cancer is a disease with a long latent period. The clinical manifestations of lung cancer include loss of appetite and weight, fatigue, chest pain, hemoptysis, or coughing up blood and breathing difficulty.
Malignant Mesothelioma
Malignant mesothelioma is cancer of the mesothelial cell, and affects the pleura and peritoneum in 80 and 20% of cases, respectively. It usually occurs in people who have been exposed to asbestos working so at least 30 years before, although sometimes there has developed in people with very mild exposure.
Asbestosis
Chronic lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. The fibers enter the lungs and irritate the lung tissue, inflamed and provoke a few years later, pulmonary fibrosis (thickening and scarring of lung tissue). May be a long time (20 years or more) between exposure to asbestos fibers and the onset of the disease.
The main symptom is shortness of breath that is growing worse as the disease progresses. It can also cause a dry cough and muscle tightness in the chest.
Tags: Health Risks, Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma, Symptom
