Diseases and Symptoms Associated with Asbestos Exposure
So you've been exposed to asbestos; how likely are you to get sick? Diseases from asbestos exposure take a long time to appear. The typical range is 10 to 40 years after exposure, although it depends on the type of illness as well as other factors, such as whether the patient is a smoker (which increases the probability of the person developing respiratory ailments). The concentration, duration and frequency of asbestos exposure also has a hand in determining your chances of developing an illness. The long and thin fibers of amphibole asbestos are more likely to reach the lower airways and inflame the lungs and pleura, the membrane that lines the lungs [source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry].
Dr. Gladden Willis/Visuals Unlimited/Getty Images
An asbestosis fiber (with blue stain) can remain in a human lung indefinitely.
The three most common illnesses associated with asbestos exposure are lung cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma. All three share the common symptom of difficulty breathing.
Lung cancer causes the most deaths due to asbestos exposure, although asbestos exposure is not the only culprit [source: EPA]. Common symptoms include coughing, chest pains, hoarseness and anemia.
Asbestosis is the result of asbestos scratching and scarring lung tissue. It usually shows up the earliest of all the respiratory ailments -- typically 10 to 20 years following exposure [source: Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry]. A common symptom is a dry, cracking sound in the lungs while inhaling.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the pleura. The majority of mesothelioma cases are due to asbestos exposure [source: Mesothelioma]. It may take years to develop, and may resemble pneumonia. Some common symptoms include chest pains and a persistent cough.
If you think you may have an asbestos-related respiratory illness, consult a pulmonary physician immediately.
If you watch any television, you've probably seen ads for lawyers who offer to take on your asbestos-related case. It's an indication of just how many cases are out there. At least 43,000 people have been killed by asbestos-related mesothelioma and asbestosis since 1979, and the Occupational Safety & Health Administration estimates that 1.3 million employees face "significant asbestos exposure" on the job [sources: All Asbestos and OSHA]. As a result, there are thousands of individual and group lawsuits against manufacturers and employers accused of negligence in exposing consumers or employees to asbestos.
There are even cases of second-hand asbestos exposure, in which family members of those who worked with asbestos develop respiratory illnesses. In 2005, for instance, a Texas jury awarded $25.7 million to a woman who developed mesothelioma after years of washing her husband's work clothes, which were covered in asbestos [source: Chung].
For more information on asbestos, lung disease and related topics, see the links on the next page.
