You have probably heard of asbestos many times in your life, but do you know what this material really is? In case you don’t know, asbestos is a mineral which has been mined and used since the late 1800s in North America and the rest of the world. Asbestos minerals are made of fibers which are fire and heat resistant and they don’t conduct electricity. Besides this, they are also resistant to all kinds of chemicals, which is why asbestos was one of the most popular building materials back in the day. However, in the 1970s, scientists figured out that asbestos is rather dangerous to humans. They realized this material can cause a lot of serious health problems, so they decided it to ban it from further use. Therefore, ever since the 1980s, asbestos hasn’t been used as a building material. However, there are a lot of old homes still in use today. So, if you live in a home that was built before the 1980s, you probably have asbestos in your walls. If this is the case, you have to know how to protect yourself and your family. Therefore, here are the things asbestos can do to your health.
It Can Cause Mesothelioma
Discovering asbestos in your home is not a pleasant experience, especially if you know what kind of health problems it can cause. However, dealing with this all by yourself and making asbestos claims related to your health is not a simple task. This is why you should always consult a professional. If you want to protect your family, this is the most responsible thing to do. One of the most dangerous diseases asbestos can cause is mesothelioma.
Malignant mesothelioma is a type of aggressive and fatal cancer which comes from the mesothelial cells that form the lining of the lung, abdominal, and heart cavities. People who are exposed to this material for a longer period of time inhale and swallow asbestos fibres which causes mesothelioma and other deadly diseases. This type of lung cancer is fatal, but you can save yourself by reducing exposure to this material. Therefore, if you find asbestos in your home or if you suspect there is some in your walls, make sure to leave your house for a while and call the professionals to remove asbestos from your family home.
It Can Cause Asbestosis
If you don’t think asbestos is dangerous, you should know that one disease got the name after this material. We are talking about Asbestosis, of course. To be completely honest, Asbestosis is not as dangerous as the previously mentioned mesothelioma, but it can be deadly, especially for older people. In case you are not familiar with this disease, Asbestosis is the permanent scarring of the lung tissue. It is rather painful and it makes breathing difficult. It can have a deadly outcome if the person continues to live with asbestos. When it comes to symptoms, shortness of breath is the most common one. Cough, chest pains, reduced lung function, and blue skin are the signs of serious damage done by Asbestosis.
Other Serious Health Problems Caused By Asbestos
In the previous two paragraphs we talked about the two most dangerous diseases caused by asbestos, but there are many other health problems and conditions you should know about. Naturally, cancer is the thing people are most afraid of, but inhalation of asbestos fibres can also cause four types of non-cancerous abnormalities in the lungs. These abnormalities might not be fatal, but they will make your life difficult. Exposure to asbestos can cause localized deposits of collagen, fluid in the pleural space, and folded lung or rounded atelectasis. This happens when an area of pleural fibrosis rolls into the lung making a part of the lung completely airless. As you can imagine, this condition makes breathing rather difficult.
Most of these health problems we talked about today usually occur after 10 or 20 years of asbestos exposure. This means you have more than enough time to prevent these conditions and save your health. All you have to do is take asbestos seriously and hire some professionals to see whether or not you have this material in your home. Trust us, you don’t want to share a home with this silent killer.