Asbestos exposure is known to cause diseases with long-term consequences, including several conditions that can present themselves years later.

Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral, which can be up to 700 times smaller than a human hair.  It was used in various manufacturing and construction projects throughout the last century, with its most popular period being between the 1920s and 1950s. Use  stopped in 1973.

When asbestos is inhaled, it can cause damage to the lungs and diaphragm.  Asbestos-damage can take decades to do serious damage, but the public should always be aware of possible exposures, and the consequences asbestos carries.

Documented diseases and conditions that have been discovered include:

• Pleural plaque: In this condition, the tissue around the lungs and diaphragm will thicken and harden due to the asbestos fibers being inhaled.  Typically, this condition shows up on x-rays.
• Pleural effusion: In this condition, excess fluid builds up in the lungs and diaphragm, due to the asbestos fibers’ interference.
• Asbestosis: In this condition, the lung tissue actually becomes scarred and scratched, causing permanent damage to the lung.  Patients who have asbestosis, are more susceptible to lung cancer.
• Lung cancer: This type of cancer which develops in the lung tissue, usually in the cells lining the air passages.
• Mesothelioma: A specific lung cancer which forms in the fluids of diaphragm, due to the cause asbestos exposure.

Because of the lack of safety precautions taken regarding asbestos-use, mesothelioma lawsuits have become the longest-running mass tort in the history of the United States.  More than 600,000 mesothelioma lawsuits have been filed against more than 6,000 companies across the country.  The government has strict removal procedures in place.  In addition to being a personal safety hazard, asbestos can be environmentally dangerous, because it can be spread through the air.

Until 1973, asbestos was used primarily used in gaskets, brakes, walls, building construction, cement, boilers, pipes, ships, dry wall, engines, steamers, and a variety of other products.  It was used widely because it was cheap, and had fire and chemical resistance.

People at Risk

While most of the exposure was to people who lived in the decades before the 1970s, there are certain occupations which would put someone at higher risk than others.   These individuals include, but are not limited to:

• Unprotected workers who made, installed, or removed products containing asbestos. People who worked near others who did these jobs also are at risk.
• Family members of workers who were exposed to asbestos. Family members may have breathed in asbestos fibers that workers brought home on their clothes, shoes, or bodies.
• People who live in areas with large deposits of asbestos in the soil. This risk is limited to areas where the deposits were disturbed and asbestos fibers got into the air.

People who have been exposed to asbestos should talk to their doctors immediately; side effects of the mentioned conditions include coughing, nausea, and difficulty breathing.  People who have been injured by asbestos exposure are encouraged to seek legal action for possible compensation.