Asbestos is a fibrous, naturally occurring silicon material. The fibers of asbestos are strong, durable, and resistant to heat and fire and can be woven into cloth. Asbestos has been used in thousands of industries including automotive, scientific, construction, and other consumer products. There are several types of asbestos fibers but three of them are commercially using and these are,
- White asbestos – that comes mainly from Canada and has been widely used in the United States.
- Brown Asbestos – that comes from southern Africa
- Blue Asbestos – that comes from southern Africa and Australia.
DISEASES CAUSED BY ASBESTOS
Asbestos has killed hundreds and thousands of people especially workers and now with the ban of asbestos the death rate due to that specific material is quite controlled but that doesn’t mean it’s over. Asbestos testing is still important as it still can cause various diseases if not cleared and the disease it causes include,
- Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is the type of cancer that affects the mesothelioma. Mesothelial cells make up the tissues that cover the lungs and the organs inside the abdomen. When a person comes in contact with the asbestos it can irritate the person’s lung pleura. And as a result, the mutations occur in mesothelial cells that can result in cancer. 9 out of 10 mesothelioma cases are because of asbestosis and turn into severe cancers.
- Lung cancer
Lung cancer happens when there is an uncontrollable cell division in the lungs where healthy lung cells change into abnormal cells causing cancer. Then these cells form tumors. These tumors then grow and destroy healthy lung tissues. Lung cancer may spread to other parts of your body through blood or lymph fluid. Lung cancer is further divided into two types,
- Small cell lung cancer
- Non-small cell lung cancer
Bothtypes can be lethal.
- Asbestosis
It is a lung-related infection. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, the lungs become embedded forming scar tissues. The resultant scarring is referred to as asbestosis which damages the lung tissues and makes the process of breathing hard for a person. Smokers can have higher risks of having this disease. The symptoms of asbestosis start appearing 10-20 years after the asbestos exposure. The symptoms are persistent dry coughing, chest pains and breathing difficulties, appetite loss, and fatigue.
These are not the only diseases caused by the asbestos fibers there are several other fibrotic infections that can occur in the body due to the asbestos particles but the frequency of those diseases is quite less but that doesn’t mean these diseases are any less of a danger.Now, you might understand why the Asbestos survey is important for you and how it can even be lethal if you get in contact with asbestos directly. Imagine if those fibers enter the bodies of the kids or old people living in your home or pets, there will some serious damage in their bodies and they might even get any of the above-mentioned diseases. So, try to avoid asbestos as much as possible and keep inspecting your houses and buildings.
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