Mesothelioma Causes and Effects

The naturally occurring mineral asbestos was used in a variety of construction materials throughout much of the 20th century. Because the mineral is fire-resistant and acts as an excellent insulator, manufacturers of construction materials mixed asbestos into paints, glues, cements, fiberboard, insulation, roofing, siding, flooring and paper in order to enrich such building materials with asbestos’ beneficial characteristics.

However, when asbestos-containing materials are damaged or disturbed, the toxic fibers that make up asbestos can be released into the air. If inhaled, these fibers can cause significant damage to the lungs and result in lung cancer, asbestosis, or pleural mesothelioma.

Those exposed to asbestos may also be at risk of developing other types of malignant mesothelioma, including peritoneal mesothelioma (abdomen) and pericardial mesothelioma (heart).

When unwanted particles become inhaled or ingested, microscopic hairs called cilia typically catch and expel them from the body. If these particles fail to be expelled, they eventually reach the small air sacs in the lungs called the alveoli. Once this occurs, it is up to the immune system to break them down.

Asbestos fibers however, are not easily expelled from the body. In many cases, the long, jagged-edged fibers attach themselves to the lining of the lungs and remain there for several decades. While attached, the mesothelial lung lining eventually becomes inflamed and scarred.

In time, which may take as long as 50 years for cases of mesothelioma, a person exposed to asbestos will become short of oxygen as the lungs have less room to expand. The increased stiffness of the lungs will also make it more difficult to breathe in and out.

Evidence has proven that inhaling asbestos on just one occasion (a severe and highly concentrated asbestos exposure) can cause the development of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases later in life. Someone who smokes and is exposed to asbestos is at an even greater risk of contracting lung cancer or another respiratory disease.

Those who have been exposed to asbestos should seek the advice of their medical doctor and schedule routine examinations and tests. Such tests include X-rays and CT scans, which are two of the common ways to detect mesothelioma. If an asbestos-related disease is diagnosed during the early stages of development, treatment is much more likely to have a positive effect.

Additional information about asbestos exposure and mesothelioma may be found through the Mesothelioma Center.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 9th, 2009 at 11:33 am and is filed under Asbestos Exposure, Mesothelioma. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS feed. Responses are currently closed, but you trackback from your own site.