Veterans need to recognize their potential exposure to asbestos during military service, which is a common issue that many may not be fully aware of. We've encountered numerous veterans who have experienced such exposure, some of whom aren't aware of the specifics.
Every veteran should understand that they were exposed to asbestos at some point during their military service. In the past ten years, I've yet to talk to a veteran who did not have exposure to asbestos. Some veterans had significant exposure, and they know exactly how and when they were exposed. But there's also less common exposures that we can help veterans understand. Once you know that you've had exposure to asbestos, the next step is being proactive about your health, requesting the correct diagnostic testing with your doctors, and then making sure that your doctor understands that you had exposure to asbestos so they can connect symptoms and diagnoses to your exposure to asbestos. This is a critical piece to be able to make that connection before the VA will grant service connected benefits.
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