Asbestos is a kind of mineral fiber and is used for strengthening and insulation. Until the year 1973 it was used as a raw material for different products. Its use was later discontinued due to its hazardous qualities. Asbestos fiber is said to have very harmful qualities that can prove to be fatal. Any person who comes in contact with asbestos fiber at work may be at the risk of contracting diseases that are asbestos related.
The fibers of asbestos, when inhaled, cause mesothelioma cancer. In this condition the mesothelium lining present in the stomach, lungs and various other internal organs in the body get affected. Exposure to asbestos may also cause asbestosis and lung disorders that may be very serious. The problem with asbestos symptoms is that the disease cannot be detected in its early stages to be cured, as the symptoms are hardly noticeable.
The symptoms that are related to asbestos are subtle and not easily identifiable. It can take many years from the time of exposure to asbestos fibers for the symptoms to become noticeable. So the person suffering from the ill effects of being exposed to asbestos may not be aware of anything being wrong for a long time.
There are different kinds of asbestos symptoms that can be experienced by an individual. These symptoms may vary in degree depending on the kind of asbestos affliction one is suffering from. Asbestosis is non cancerous and is progressive in nature. Asbestosis may affect a person as soon as he is exposed to asbestos fibers. However the symptoms may not appear until fifteen to thirty years after the person has been first exposed to asbestos. This disease causes a build up of tissues that replace the tissues present in the lungs’ lower half, obstructing normal functioning. The common signs are chronic cough, dyspnoea or shortness of breath, chest pain and difficult in breathing.
Malignant mesothelioma is another very serious asbestos disease. The symptoms of this disease are not noticeable up to fifty years from the first instance the person
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was exposed to the asbestos fibers. The symptoms depend largely on the kind of mesothelioma it is. A person suffering from this disease may experience chest pain, dyspnoea, weight loss, anemia, swelling, bowel problems, night sweats, fever and persistent cough.
It is very difficult to detect asbestos symptoms, especially when the disease is in its early stages. The abnormalities that develop when the disease begins may not appear in the x-ray of the lungs. It is only at a much-advanced stage of mesothelioma or asbestosis that the abnormalities appear distinct and more prominent.
In advanced asbestosis, the chest x-ray will be able to show up the abnormalities and the evident opacity in the affected lung. These symptoms could appear as linear shadows that the x-ray will reveal.
The treatment options will vary depending on the kind of asbestos disease the patient is suffering from. Mesothelioma can be treated with the appropriate surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
