You may not know it, but asbestos can lead to a variety of serious illnesses, such as lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other non-malignant lung disorders like asbestosis.  Hundreds of people die each year in Australia as a result of asbestos-related diseases.

Before the risks to one-s life became well recognized, this substance was widely used. With the discovery of new research of the harmful effects it can cause, asbestos is now forbidden in Australia to use in any goods. To keep you formed, make sure to read on these five facts about asbestos and how it can negatively affect your overall well-being.

What Are the Possible Diseases You Can Get from Asbestos Exposure?

There are a number of diseases you can get from just being exposed to asbestos:

Lung Cancer

Inhaling asbestos fibers has been attributed to an elevated risk of lung cancer. It’s a risk seen in all types of asbestos, and there’s no safe type of asbestos. IN addition, the higher the level of asbestos contamination, the greater your risk of lung cancer is. The majority of asbestos-related lung cancer occur at least 15 years after exposure to asbestos.

When asbestos-exposed employees still smoke,the lung cancer incidence is much higher that when the effects from these exposures are added together.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a respiratory disease caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Although this is not cancer, it is a potentially fatal lung condition marked by scarring and lung inflammation. Shortness of breath and chest tightness are signs of asbestosis, which restrict the lungs from spreading and relaxing naturally.

Pleural Effusions

Pleural effusions are a collection of fluid in between the layers of the pleural membrane. Effusions can occur without other asbestos-related diseases, although they are often symptoms of longer stage mesothelioma.

The pleural membranes bind together during a pleurodesis, causing the lungs to stick to the chest and stopping the blood from accumulating. Fluids will also collect around the lung in the chest cavity following pleurodesis if the membranes covering the lungs are not properly adhered.

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a cancer that develops in the membranes of bodily cavities. Possible tumors may develop on the lungs, liver, etc. While each form of mesothelioma has its own range of symptoms, patients often experience abdominal pain and breathing problems.

What If I Am Exposed to Asbestos?

The biggest health risk can come from airborne asbestos spores. Those who come into contact with asbestos can actually inhale the fibres found in them, especially when they become airborne. These particles stay inside the lungs and can cause serious illness over time. The amount of duration of asbestos exposure will determine in the future a person’s risk of contracting an asbestos related disease.

Who Are the People at Risk Being Exposed to Asbestos?

Asbestos can be present in everyone’s body in some type or form. It can be found in trace amounts in air, soil, and water. Luckily for you, these levels can be low enough that they can’t cause serious illness.

Many that have dealt with asbestos on a regular basis are at the greatest risk of contracting disease. Over the years, people in specific industries were more exposed to asbestos diseases than others, namely:

• Manufacturing and mining
• Construction workers in the railway, office, and industrial buildings
• Shipbuilding personnel
• Railway personnel
• Firefighters
• Automobile industry

What Else Can Increase the Risk of Asbestos Diseases?

Not everybody who’s exposed to asbestos becomes sick. In general, the more you are exposed to something, the greater your chance is exposed even further. And if you were just exposed to asbestos for a short time, you are already at risk of contracting a disease.

There are a number of factors that they’ll have to consider, namely:

• Length of duration
• Industry type
• Risk factors
• Intensity strength

About the fact that all sources of asbestos are dangerous, different types of asbestos fibers can pose different risks to your health. Research indicates that hematite sources of asbestos are potentially more toxic than chrysotile, especially in terms of asbestosis risks, since they appear to remain in your lungs for a longer period of time.

What Products Contain Asbestos-Related Materials?

Asbestos is the common name assigned to a group of fibrous silicate materials that occur naturally. It was commonly used in a variety of items because it was solid and heat tolerant. Few asbestos-containing components, such as attic insulation, are also in use in older homes. Some asbestos materials, such as old asbestos pipes used for plumbing and test facilities all over the world, are still in use.

Construction supplies, electrical fittings, plastics, textile, floor tiles, and even other items have also been found to contain asbestos particles.

Asbestos can be found all over your homes or office spaces, so make sure that you contact Fast Asbestos Removal to take care and properly disinfect yours from these deadly particles. Rest assured, we’ll be one of the best asbestos removal Sydney firms out there.