But mesothelioma is a long-delayed disease. The reason there are more cases of mesothelioma and more legal claims being filed about it is that the people who were exposed to asbestos years ago are only now being hit with the results.
What is asbestos?
Asbestos is a term for several naturally-occurring minerals. The ancient Greeks named it, using their word meaning inextinguishable, and that is where our word asbestos comes from. It’s “inextinguishable” because:
· It’s resistant to heat and electricity
· It’s resistant to chemical damage
· It has tensile strength, being of a fibrous nature
· It blocks sound
These qualities make it excellent for building construction, and from the late 19th century until the 1970s, it was used for insulation and as a fire retardant, in vehicle manufacture, appliances, and buildings.
Asbestos fibers
Even the ancient Greeks knew that these tiny air-borne fibers are dangerous, as they noticed that slaves who used it in making cloth developed breathing problems. In the U.S., asbestos fibers were breathed in for the entire working lives of construction workers who are now aged 50 or 60 or older. In other industries too, people breathed this contaminated air, so that the fibers became lodged in the lungs. They are still there, causing cancerous tumors of the lining around the lungs and chest cavity, known as the pleura. Asbestosis is less severe, being an inflammation of the lungs; mesothelioma is cancer in the lungs.
The cancer may also spread to other parts of the body. The name Mesothelioma means cancer of a mesothelium (a lining around body organs) and can occur in any of the body’s mesothelia, such as in the abdominal cavity, the testicles, or the heart.
Mesothelioma symptoms
Anywhere from 20 to 50 years after exposure to asbestos fibers, symptoms start appearing:
· Coughing
· Chest pain
· Shortness of breath
· Fatigue
· Fluid build-up around the lungs
· Blood when you cough
There may be many small tumors, in locations where the body has been trying for decades to rid itself of the fibers, and failing, because asbestos is “inextinguishable” – it kills off the special cells sent to dispose of its fibers.
In severe cases, one or both lungs may collapse, which is a life-threatening event, as breathing is not possible in a collapsed lung.
On February 5, 2008, the Vancouver Sun reported on a survey done by the British Colombia and Yukon Building and Construction Trades Council. The survey had found that 51% of work-related deaths in 2007 were caused by occupational diseases, most of which were asbestos-related. The executive director of the Construction Trades Council predicts 1,500 asbestos-related deaths in B.C. in the next five years.
Meanwhile Asarco LLC, a large mining company in Texas, is in bankruptcy and struggling to deal with claims from individuals, states, and the federal government. Many of the claims relate to asbestos injuries.
If you suspect you are suffering from asbestos-related symptoms, be sure and see your doctor about it. It could be either asbestosis or mesothelioma. You might also contact an experienced mesothelioma attorney to learn more about your legal options.
source:http://www.bestsyndication.com/?q=20080221_diagnosed_with_mesothelioma.htm
