Asbestos has been used as a building material for many years. Its primary use was to insulate buildings however it wasn't initially known that it was an extremely dangerous material that could seriously damage people's health. Since this discovery, the use of asbestos has been banned in many countries but this doesn't mean that it isn't still a risk. In the UK many buildings built before the year 2000 will still have asbestos present in them and so the people working in these buildings are still at risk. The threat of asbestos is now well-known as are the diseases which can come as a result of exposure to the material.
Illness from asbestos is very serious and some of the diseases can actually be fatal. Asbestosis is one of these potentially fatal diseases and like most other asbestos related diseases it comes from inhaling the dust which comes from asbestos. The walls of the lungs are made up of alveoli and the dust settles on these causing them to become damaged and scarred. When this happens the lungs become less effective at oxygenating the blood and the heart has to work harder thus becoming more susceptible to failure.
Prolonged exposure to asbestos can also cause cancer in many different areas. A person who smokes and is exposed to asbestos is even more at risk also. The larynx is one area where asbestos can causer cancer but it is also believed it can cause cancer of the lung, ovaries, rectum, colon and the gut.
There is one time of cancer which is specifically caused by asbestos. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which affects the lungs and is also very unforgiving. Usually, when someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma they will only survive for a maximum of eighteen months, most however only manage between six and twelve months.
Finally there are pleural thickening and pleural plaques which are not as severe as the others but can lead to them and still leave the sufferer in a lot of discomfort. Pleural plaques are the thickened scar tissue areas on the lung which can be very painful and also make breathing quite difficult. Pleural thickening is the thickening and hardening of the walls of the lung. It causes great discomfort for the sufferer and over time it can become more and more difficult for them to breathe.
Illness from asbestos is very serious and some of the diseases can actually be fatal. Asbestosis is one of these potentially fatal diseases and like most other asbestos related diseases it comes from inhaling the dust which comes from asbestos. The walls of the lungs are made up of alveoli and the dust settles on these causing them to become damaged and scarred. When this happens the lungs become less effective at oxygenating the blood and the heart has to work harder thus becoming more susceptible to failure.
Prolonged exposure to asbestos can also cause cancer in many different areas. A person who smokes and is exposed to asbestos is even more at risk also. The larynx is one area where asbestos can causer cancer but it is also believed it can cause cancer of the lung, ovaries, rectum, colon and the gut.
There is one time of cancer which is specifically caused by asbestos. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer which affects the lungs and is also very unforgiving. Usually, when someone is diagnosed with mesothelioma they will only survive for a maximum of eighteen months, most however only manage between six and twelve months.
Finally there are pleural thickening and pleural plaques which are not as severe as the others but can lead to them and still leave the sufferer in a lot of discomfort. Pleural plaques are the thickened scar tissue areas on the lung which can be very painful and also make breathing quite difficult. Pleural thickening is the thickening and hardening of the walls of the lung. It causes great discomfort for the sufferer and over time it can become more and more difficult for them to breathe.
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