It’s hard to believe that something invisible to the human eye could be capable of such devastation, but that’s the reality of the hidden killer: asbestos. Tiny asbestos fibres found within a natural mineral can become lodged in your lungs and tissue, resulting in a range of benign and malignant illnesses that change your entire way of life.

While not everyone who experiences an exposure event will become ill with an asbestos-related illness, thousands and people have suffered with and died from some of the following diseases after exposure.

 

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is cancer presenting as malignant tumors on the lining of the lungs, heart, and abdomen. Symptoms of this illness often include chest pain and shortness of breath, and most people diagnosed with this illness don’t live beyond one year.

There are four primary types: peritoneal (abdomen), pleural (lungs), pericardial (heart), and tunica vaginalis (testes). While treatment is available to improve quality of life, mesothelioma is an aggressive and rare cancer with no cure.

 

Asbestosis

Asbestosis gets its name from the material that causes it: asbestos. It’s a chronic lung disease caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres that cause shortness of breath and lung tissue scarring.

Most people aren’t diagnosed with asbestosis until several years after their exposure event, and it can be a mild to severe illness. Those who receive a diagnosis typically experience symptoms like shortness of breath, chest tightness, chest pain, a dry cough, and clubbing of the fingertips and toes.

 

Lung Cancer

While many things can increase your chances of lung cancer, such as smoking, some cases can be linked to asbestos exposure. Studies have shown that asbestos exposure increases your lung cancer risk, regardless of whether you’re a smoker or non-smoker. Furthermore, lung cancer due to asbestos exposure is responsible for at least 6,000 deaths in the United States each year.

Typically, those who go on to receive a lung cancer diagnosis have experienced a range of symptoms like shortness of breath, coughing up blood, and chest pain. These symptoms might develop upwards of 15 years after the exposure event before the sufferer receives a diagnosis of small-cell or non-small cell lung cancer.

Asbestos causes lung cancer when tiny fibres become lodged in lung tissue. As time passes, genetic and cellular damage can cause some lung cells to become cancerous. Some people are more at risk than others based on how much exposure to asbestos they had, their smoking history, genetics, and overall health.

 

Ovarian Cancer

Studies have confirmed that exposure to asbestos is associated with an increased ovarian cancer risk. Women who have been exposed to asbestos are one and three-quarter times more likely to receive an ovarian cancer diagnosis than those who haven’t been exposed to asbestos.

However, the research is still not overly clear about why there is a strong connection between ovarian cancer and asbestos. Researchers know that asbestos fibres reach the lungs and abdomen through the ingestion or inhalation of fibres, but they aren’t sure how they can reach the ovaries.

It’s possible that fibres are transported through the reproductive tract, the lymphatic system, or via the bloodstream. Among the most common signs of ovarian cancer are abdominal swelling or bloating, weight loss, pelvic area discomfort, back pain, fatigue, and changes in bowel habits.

 

Laryngeal Cancer

Laryngeal cancer is a type of throat cancer affecting the larynx. Those exposed to asbestos are 40% more likely to be diagnosed with this type of cancer than those not exposed to asbestos.

While there are many other causes of laryngeal cancer, such as drinking and smoking, the link between asbestos and the same cancer was confirmed in a report in 2006. It was determined to be a definite cause of the cancer, and that the risks increased based on the asbestos exposure level.

Symptoms of laryngeal cancer include a change in your voice, pain or difficulty swallowing, a cough, breathlnessness, and a lump or swelling in the neck. Some people might also experience a sore throat, ear ache, a high-pitched wheezing noise while breathing, and difficulty breathing.

Bile Duct Cancer

Those who have sustained household or occupational exposure to asbestos might be more at risk of bile duct cancer than those without such an exposure event. Bile ducts are the connecting piece between the liver and small intestines, and asbestos fibres can become trapped in this area.

 In a study involving patients with this type of cancer, 40% reported asbestos exposure as their only risk factor.

 

Now’s the Time to Take Asbestos Seriously

There is no ‘safe’ exposure limit, which means limiting your contact with asbestos can be crucial for reducing your risk of life-threatening illnesses such as those above. If you have identified asbestos in your home or business, contact trained and qualified asbestos removal experts like Chemcare to remove it safely.