Asbestos and Mesothelioma Its consequences on health and on the body

Asbestos and Mesothelioma Its consequences on health and on the body
Asbestos is a health hazard because of which it is composed of fibers that may be present in the workplace and life, and inhaled.

The release of fibers into the environment may occur either at a physical handling / treatment or spontaneously, as in the case of brittle materials, worn or subjected to vibration, air currents, shocks, etc..

Exposure to asbestos fibers is associated with respiratory diseases (asbestosis, lung cancer) and serous membranes, especially the pleura (mesothelioma).
They occur many years after exposure: 10 - 15 for asbestosis to even 20 to 40 for lung cancer and mesothelioma.



Asbestosis is a chronic disease, and the one that first was related to the inhalation of asbestos.
It consists of a fibrosis with thickening and hardening of lung tissue resulting in a difficult exchange of oxygen between inspired air and blood.

It occurs to medium-high exposures and is therefore typically an occupational disease, currently, it is increasingly rare.
Lung cancer also occurs for exposures at low doses.
This severe disease is also caused by: cigarette smoke, chrome, nickel, radioactive materials, other environmental pollutants (aromatic hydrocarbons from industry, tar derivatives, gas engine exhaust).

Cigarette smoking greatly enhances the carcinogenic effect of asbestos and therefore substantially increased the likelihood of contracting this disease.

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer of the membrane lining of the lung (pleura) or bowel (peritoneum), which is strongly associated with exposure to asbestos fibers even at low doses.
Have been described, in addition, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and larynx, for which the association with asbestos is weaker and it remains to be definitively established a safe addiction.
The exposures in the living environment in general are much lower than professional, but nevertheless not be underestimated because the effect cancer has no threshold theory.

 related

Mesothelioma? What the heck is mesothelioma anyway? Answer: mesothelioma is a form of cancer. The diseased mesothelioma patient will have cancer cells lining their body cavities including the area around the patient's heart and the chest (lungs.) Mesothelioma is almost always caused by exposure to asbestos. And it doesn't take much exposure to asbestos to develop mesothelioma: exposure to even the smallest amount of asbestos on a regular basis can cause mesothelioma. Smoking greatly exacerbates the situation, dramatically increasing the risk for the individual to develop mesothelioma.