Ancient Roman philosopher and naturalist, Pliny the Elder, noted that slaves who worked in the asbestos mines suffered from lung problems and died at an early age. When inhaled, asbestos is a deadly natural substance, but has been used for centuries in a variety of industries around the world. The dangerous health consequences of exposure to it are still very prevalent today.
Asbestos: What Where Why
The term asbestos comes from a Greek word meaning “indistinguishable” and it is believed that it was first mined on the ancient Greek Island of Ewoia. This naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral has been used all over the world in many different materials because of its fire resistant properties.
Despite centuries of noted health problems among those who mined or manufactured products with it, asbestos was used abundantly in the United States from the 1940s to the 1970s. It was then that the deadly lung disorders caused by exposure to it could no longer be kept hidden from the public and while most countries banned the use of it in any form, it is still used in some products in the United States today due to a 1990s ruling by the Supreme Court overturning a complete ban on its use.
Asbestos Inhalation And Deadly Lung Disorders
Inhalation of asbestos fibers has been positively linked to severe lung diseases. The most common lung disorders due to exposure are asbestosis and mesothelioma. Once inhaled, the mineral fibers cannot be absorbed by the body so they stay lodged in the lungs where scar tissue surrounds it and compromises breathing.
Asbestosis and mesothelioma are difficult to diagnose in the early stages of both diseases since the symptoms are similar to other lung disorders. Also, symptoms of both disorders do not manifest themselves from 10 to 40 years after exposure. Both asbestosis and mesothelioma share many similar symptoms, however, one is a cancer and one is not.
Asbestosis
This disease causes stiffening of the lung tissue but is not a cancer. It is caused by asbestos fibers becoming lodged in the alveoli, or the lung’s air sacs, where the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide take place. Smoking worsens the symptoms of asbestosis and it is believed that suffering from it can lead to lung cancer. Other symptoms include:
- shortness of breath without physical exertion
- decreased ability for physical activity due to breathing difficulties
- coughing
- chest pain
- clubbing of the fingertips or toes (fingertips or toes become more round than usual and the nail becomes weaker)
Asbestosis is an irreversible condition, but it can be treated to keep the worst symptoms at bay and enhance the quality of life of those affected. There are a number of medications, treatments and procedures that can be used to help those suffering from asbestosis live with the disease for a prolonged period of time. These include:
- inhaled medications like bronchodilators
- antibiotics
- humidifiers
- oxygen therapy
- surgery to remove the scar tissue
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a very aggressive lung cancer that is painful and difficult to treat. There are three types of this deadly and incurable cancer.
Plueral- the most common form of mesothelioma, affects the lining surrounding the lungs. The pluera is a slick stretchy membrane between the lungs and the thoracic cage which allows your lungs to slide easily against your ribs each time you inhale. When it is contaminated by inhaled asbestos fibers the results are:
- shortness of breath without physical exertion
- decreased tolerance for physical activity due to breathing difficulties and exhaustion
- unexpected/unexplained and sudden weight loss
- painful coughing
- pain under the rib cage or discomfort on the side of the chest
- detectable lumps under the skin in the chest area
- lower back pain
- sweating, fever, or difficulty swallowing
Peritoneal – the second most common form of asbestos related mesothelioma is the result of cancer attacking the lining of the abdomen. Symptoms include:
- sudden and unexplained weight loss
- lumps in the abdomen
- swelling and pain in the abdomen
- nausea and vomiting
Pericardial – is one of the rarest form of cancer linked to asbestos inhalation and attacks the protective membrane around the heart. The disease is characterized by:
- low blood pressure
- shortness of breath
- heart palpitations
- chest pain
- edema (fluid retention in the legs)
- extreme fatigue after slight exertion
Testicular Mesothelioma is the rarest form of cancer linked to asbestos inhalation and attacks the lining of the testicles.
A diagnosis of mesothelioma is usually very grim as the treatment options are limited and only marginally useful in slowing the progression of the disease. The medical community is not even exactly sure how asbestos inhalation causes these diseases but the two most common theories are:
The tiny particles are inhaled, become permanently trapped in the lung tissue and corrupt a certain gene that is crucial for preventing cancer
The asbestos fibers trapped in the lungs cause the body to produce a protein that stimulates the growth of cancer cells.
Asbestos Safety
Asbestos fibers cannot be seen by the human eye in the air, nor can you tell if anything like roofing materials or vinyl floor tiles contain it. Asbestos can only be positively identified by a certain kind of microscope, too. That’s why it is absolutely essential that one never begins any kind of renovation or demolition of any age building or home without first having it tested for asbestos.
The laws in Denver and the entire state of Colorado have been put in place according to EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) guidelines and procedure to limit the public’s exposure to deadly asbestos fibers. Only a certified asbestos professional who has received extensive training in the safe handling of it should conduct tests on public or private buildings to determine if asbestos is present. If it is, then there are laws concerning the safe removal and disposal of it that must be followed to avoid costly fines, penalties, and worse, exposure to the disease causing fibers.
The consequences of inhaling asbestos fibers are usually not known until decades after exposure. By then it is often too late to treat it effectively and in the case of mesothelioma, fatal. The laws and procedures for the safe testing and removal of asbestos containing materials were put into place to protect the public from a known health risk. Protecting yourself, your family or employees is easy if you seek out the services of a professional asbestos removal company that has a certified asbestos contractor to oversee testing and abatement (removal) to prevent the fibers from escaping into the environment and being inhaled.
