Asbestos is most likely to affect someone in the workplace, but it can also be found in a home or in a military facility. Occupational exposure is the most common reason for asbestos disease, but even a person renovating an older home could be at risk of allowing asbestos fibers into the environment.

Most people might not realize that asbestos fibers have been released into the atmosphere in their workplace. Many employers who suspect the presence of asbestos will use masks and other safety gear to reduce the possibility of exposure since even a single exposure to asbestos could cause health issues.

How Does Asbestos Affect the Body?

Asbestos fibers are inhaled and swallowed in most cases of an asbestos-related disease. These fibers can get trapped in the body’s digestive tract or respiratory tract.

Most commonly, asbestos exposure has been linked to respiratory cancers, including lung cancer and mesothelioma.

Asbestos is composed of long fibers, which may become embedded in the lungs if they are breathed in. They can then reportedly lead to the development of cancer. As these fibers accumulate inside the body, the damage can lead to cellular changes; other issues caused by asbestos fibers include inflammation or DNA damage, which can be tied to even a single exposure to asbestos.

Lung cancer is cancer of the lung tissue itself, while mesothelioma is cancer that develops in the lining of many internal organs. When mesothelioma develops in the tissue around the lungs, which are called the pleura, it is known as pleural mesothelioma.

Unfortunately, asbestos exposure has been linked to cancer in other parts of the chest cavity as well as in the lungs and their pleura.

When Could Asbestos Diseases Be Diagnosed?

Even when someone has been exposed to asbestos in a limited format, it can take decades for a medical condition to develop. Asbestos-related cancers can take up to 50 years before the patient notices side effects. Mesothelioma and lung cancer are particularly deadly kinds of cancer, but as they often show no symptoms at first, patients may go a long time before being diagnosed.

Patients are often diagnosed after they begin to exhibit symptoms. This means that many patients face a mesothelioma or lung cancer diagnosis once their cancer has advanced to a late stage, lowering their chances for survival.

Early screening of cancer is the most effective way to give patients the best chance of survival, so patients who are at risk for asbestos exposure or who were previously exposed may want to be screened. People who may benefit from screening include those people who work in industries in which asbestos exposure may have been likely, such as construction, shipping, renovation, electricity, and the military.

Since second-hand exposure is also a risk, people whose family members may bring back asbestos fibers on their clothing may also want to be screened.

How Much Asbestos is Too Much?

Many people have been exposed to asbestos in small amounts in the general air or at their work. A person could even be exposed to asbestos fibers by coming into contact with someone who has these fibers on their clothes.

Most people who will present with health problems from asbestos are those who were continuously exposed to it over a long period of time. Without proper safety gear or safety protocol in place at a work location with asbestos, these employees and their family members have the highest risk of suffering from asbestos-caused diseases. Those who smoke have an increased risk.

There is no safe amount of asbestos that could be inhaled; asbestos can lead to chronic respiratory issues and cancer after the person in question has breathed in the asbestos fibers. All asbestos exposure should be treated as potentially dangerous.

What is the Impact of Asbestos Nationwide?

According to research from the Environmental Working Group, asbestos diseases could kill as many as 10,000 Americans every year. Most of these are tied to long-term exposure to asbestos in the workplace, but secondhand exposure, limited exposure, and a single exposure to asbestos can cause medical issues, too.

What Are the Signs of Asbestos-Related Diseases?

Exposure to asbestos, even in a single instance, does increase a person’s chances of suffering an asbestos-related illness like mesothelioma. If a person believes they were exposed to asbestos at any point, they should be aware of some of the early signs and symptoms of asbestos diseases.

Pain in the chest, shortness of breath, and coughing should all be reported to a physician. While these can all be signs of other medical conditions, share with your doctor if you believe that you were ever exposed to asbestos so that further testing can determine whether or not you have an asbestos-related disease.

While symptoms can take years or even decades to emerge, knowing that you have a history of heavy asbestos exposure is enough reason to get screened for asbestos diseases, even without obvious asbestos-related symptoms.

Filing an Asbestos Lawsuit

A growing number of people are coming forward to pursue litigation, alleging they were diagnosed with lung cancer or another asbestos-related disease as a direct result of exposure to asbestos. Victims and their family members have been awarded millions of dollars in compensation for asbestos-related diseases, including lung cancer, after asbestos exposure.

If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with lung cancer or another asbestos disease, you may be able to file a lawsuit and pursue compensation. Of course, filing a lawsuit cannot take away the pain and suffering caused by a cancer diagnosis, nor can it bring a loved one back to life, but it can at least help to alleviate the financial burden too often incurred by medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

Filing a lawsuit can be a daunting prospect, especially in the wake of a cancer diagnosis, so Top Class Actions has laid the groundwork for you by connecting you with an experienced attorney. Consulting an attorney can help you determine if you have a claim, navigate the complexities of litigation, and maximize your potential compensation.