"Ask Me Anything": Ten Responses To Your Questions About Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma

Asbestos Exposure Mesothelioma

Pleural mesothelioma usually develops around 20 to 60 years after exposure to asbestos. The symptoms can be difficult to identify because they are usually mild.

Asbestos, a mineral was used in thousands industrial commercial and domestic products. It releases fibers into air when disturbed and is harmful if inhaled.

Occupational Exposure

Many of those suffering from mesothelioma were exposed to asbestos while working. In fact, prior occupational exposure can cause up to the 80% of cases. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer that affects the lining of organs such as the abdomen and lungs, is a rare form cancer. People who worked at sites that employed asbestos in shipbuilding, construction manufacturing, and other industries are the most affected. But mesothelioma can be found in people who were living with people who were exposed to asbestos regularly.

Asbestos is a mineral that occurs naturally is extremely durable and resistant to high temperatures. It was widely used in shipbuilding, construction, and other industrial jobs before the dangers were recognized. It was used in homes and other residential structures due to its fire-resistant properties.

When asbestos is disturbed or handled, it releases tiny fibers into the air. These can be inhaled or swallowed. The irritation of the lungs and stomach can lead to mesothelioma.

It can take a long time for mesothelioma development from asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma is most commonly caused by asbestos exposure in mining, shipbuilding, manufacturing and other industrial occupations. People who have lived with someone who had been exposed to asbestos are at risk.

Mesothelioma is also a risk for smokers who smoke frequently. A family history of asbestos-related cancers as well as mesothelioma can increase the risk of a person developing mesothelioma.

The most frequent types of mesothelioma include pleural and peritoneal mesothelioma asbestos mesothelioma. Claims Asbestos fibers enter the lungs after inhalation and become embedded in the lining that protects. The mesothelium comprises cells that react with asbestos and cause it turn into cancerous tumours.

Researchers have found that the incidences of peritoneal and pleural mesothelioma as well as asbestosis rise in proportion with time. However, the rate of latency seems to flatten out at about 45 years after exposure for women and men. The type of asbestos could also have an effect on the rate of mesothelioma's recurrence. Crocidolite, for example, appears to result in mesothelioma that is more pleural than peritoneal. Similarly, amosite has a higher percentage of pleural mesothelioma than chrysotile or mixed fibres.

Secondary Exposure

Asbestos is a dangerous mineral that can be found in many household products. Families of asbestos workers may be exposed unknowingly to toxic fibers when they bring asbestos mesothelioma home. This is known as secondary exposure. In some instances, family members may have touched asbestos workers directly and inhaled them.

Mesothelioma-related patients are usually those whose husbands and fathers were in asbestos-related industries. These women could have brought home asbestos from their skin or clothing or from the contaminated clothes that they were wearing to work. Their children could have worn those clothes while playing, further exposing themselves.

Asbestos particles can get airborne and pose a risk to anyone who lives in the house. Studies have shown that asbestos fibers can stay in homes for up to 20 years, posing the risk for the people who live there. Mesothelioma victims have reported frequently sneezing and coughing when in their home and asbestos dust accumulated on furniture and other surfaces.

Since the time to develop mesothelioma can be so long the majority of people who have experienced para-occupational exposure to asbestos don't recognize it until they experience serious mesothelioma symptoms. The symptoms are often mistaken for other ailments like COPD, lung cancer, or asthma. Additionally, the symptoms of mesothelioma are similar to those of ovarian cancer bowel diseases and heart conditions.

Patients who have mesothelioma typically claim that their doctor did not know about their asbestos exposure since these types of cancer do not show up in standard laboratory tests. A doctor for a patient has to be thorough when examining the medical history of a patient in order to determine if mesothelioma was caused by occupational or secondary exposure.

Studies that focus on a specific area or community that has an industrial source of asbestos exposure in para-occupational settings have proven to be more effective in assessing mesothelioma risk than studies that focus on individual workers who were exposed to asbestos. For example, a study conducted in Casale Monferrato, northwest Italy, showed that those living within 2000 meters of an asbestos cement plant were at higher risk than those who were not close to the plant.

Signs and symptoms

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that is found in the tissue that lines the exterior of many internal organs. It can affect the lung's lining as well as the chest cavity (pleura), the membrane that surrounds the abdominal cavity (peritoneum) or the membranes surrounding other organs within the body. The disease starts in mesothelial cells. Mesothelioma can be a cancerous disease where cells multiply uncontrollably and develop tumors.

The disease can take quite a while to show after exposure to asbestos claims how much, and it takes even longer for symptoms be diagnosed. The earliest symptoms are often very mild, which makes it difficult to determine. Mesothelioma is mostly respiratory illness, however it can also affect the stomach, heart and larynx.

The asbestos fibers that cause mesothelioma tend to be located in the lung. The tiny fibers then enter the bloodstream of the lungs and cause damage to cells that line the lungs as well as other respiratory organs. This can lead to a variety of symptoms, such as coughing, difficulty breathing and chest pain. Symptoms of the more advanced stages of mesothelioma are more severe. These include fluid buildup in the chest (pleural effusion), weight gain, fatigue fever, and anemia.

A person who has been exposed to asbestos should visit an expert immediately for a thorough physical examination and lab tests, specifically an x-ray of the chest and lung function tests. The doctor should inquire about the person's past work history and family history of illness related to asbestos exposure.

If the patient is experiencing mesothelioma signs that are early, the doctor should consider taking a biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. The doctor should employ a technique which reduces the possibility of pain and discomfort. In a majority of cases the specialist can perform the biopsy in an outpatient setting and then give a tissue sample for laboratory testing.

If the test results come back as positive for mesothelioma, further tests will be required to determine the stage of the disease and determine treatment. Based on the stage of the cancer patients are able to undergo a number of nonsurgical and surgical treatments. A lung transplant can help certain people breathe easier and chemotherapy has also helped some patients live longer.

Diagnosis

If someone is experiencing breathlessness, chest pain or other signs of mesothelioma from asbestos exposure, they should seek medical attention immediately. They must inform their doctor of any asbestos exposure they may have experienced in the past.

It is believed that asbestos fibres enter into the lining of the lung (pleura) and cause changes to the genes that are present in lung cells, Claims Asbestos which leads to mesothelioma. Mesothelioma can also affect tissue of the heart (peritoneal mesothelioma and asbestos) and the testicles (pericardial mesothelioma). Mesothelioma may take a long time to develop, which means that people suffering from asbestos exposure might not realize that they have mesothelioma is an asbestos related disease until it is extremely sick.

Many patients are unable to recognize mesothelioma since the symptoms are usually slow and may be mistaken for other conditions such as influenza or pneumonia. It is sometimes difficult for both doctors and patients to determine if a mesothelioma patient's illness was the result of work-related exposure.

Imaging tests can be used to detect mesothelioma by identifying lung tumours and other areas of the body. X-rays as well as computed tomography (CT) scans are typically the first tests to be performed to detect lumps or tumours, and help doctors determine if there are other illnesses.

If the tests aren't conclusive, a biopsy could be taken to determine if cancerous tissue is present. This is usually carried out with a tube introduced into the lung via an incision on the chest (thoracotomy). The doctor can then remove a sample of tissue and send it for testing to determine if mesothelioma is present or other cancers.

A blood test referred to as the mesothelioma marker can help to identify cancerous cells. The blood marker isn't always accurate and cannot detect mesothelioma.

If a mesothelioma diagnose is confirmed, treatment can be started. This could include chemotherapy and surgery, but a mesothelioma patient should discuss treatment options with their physician. Asbestos victims should contact an U.S. veterans' compensation specialist to make a claim for VA benefits as soon as possible. Click here to download a no-cost VA claim packet.