Asbestos Related Diseases
Asbestos fibres are 2,000 times thinner than a human hair and because they are so fine they can easily be breathed in or swallowed. Once they are inside the lungs it is almost impossible to cough them out and so they, like a splinter, irritate the surrounding area. Asbestos fibres are very strong and so they penetrate the sensitive lining of the lungs and cause illness.
Does Exposure to Asbestos Always Damage Health?
It does not necessarily follow that those exposed to asbestos will definitely suffer from one of the asbestos related diseases. However, it is thought that prolonged exposure to this material will increase the likelihood of developing an asbestos related disease. There is a long latency period between initial exposure to asbestos and the development of an asbestos related disease. It takes between 30 to 50 years before the onset of illness.
Asbestos Related Conditions
Pleural Plaques
Minor exposures to asbestos dust can cause areas of inflammation to the pleura.
The pleura is the membrane enveloping the lungs and lining the walls of the thoracic cavity.
These areas of inflammation are called plaques.
Plaques do not generally cause pain or breathlessness and can produce or show no symptoms but their presence can cause anxiety.
Diffused Pleural Thickening
This is similar to pleural plaques but it affects more of the pleura. The membrane in the chest wall becomes thicker. This process can impair the function of the lungs.
The symptoms are breathlessness and/or chest tightness and/or pain. This condition is usually caused by heavy exposure to asbestos.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is the most widely known disease associated with asbestos exposure. It is caused by inhaling asbestos dust and shows up on X-rays as a type of fibrosis affecting the lungs. Fibrosis is the scarring of the tissue in the lungs. Pleural plaques, and/or pleural thickening can and may occur with asbestosis, at the same time. There are differing degrees of asbestosis. This disease can degenerate although this is not always the case. The main symptoms are breathlessness with or without a cough. Smoking can heighten the condition.
Mesothelioma
This is a rare form of cancer of the lining of the lung (pleura) or, more rarely, the lining of the abdomen. It occurs in a small number of people who have been exposed to asbestos. Most of the time, the disease will appear between 30 - 50 years after exposure. It is a rapidly progressive illness. There are different kinds of Mesothelioma and there is no effective treatment for them at the moment. There is clinical research ongoing throughout the UK.
The symptoms include chest pain, breathlessness, loss of appetite and weight loss.
There is no known relationship between this illness and smoking.
Asbestos Related Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is a malignant growth in the lung, the bronchi (the air passages), or the trachea (the windpipe). People who had been exposed to asbestos have a seven times greater risk of developing lung cancer than those who have not been exposed. (Cancer Research UK). The Health and Safety Executive maintain that there are two cases of Asbestos Related Lung Cancer for every case of mesothelioma.
Smoking
If you smoke and you have been exposed to asbestos dust, then you may have nearly twice the risk of developing an asbestos related disease compared to a non-smoker.
Links to Asbestos Disease Related Sites
British Lung Foundation - http://www.britishlungfoundation.org
Mesothelioma U.K. - http://www.mesothelioma.uk.com
CancerBACKUP - http://www.cancerbackup.org.uk/Cancertype/Mesothelioma
NHS Direct Online - http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk
