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| Exposure to Asbestos can lead to serious illness and death |
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Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a reaction of the lung to the presence of asbestos fibres which, having reached the bronchioles and air sacs, cause a fibrous thickening in the network distribution, mainly in the lower parts of the lung. There follows a loss of elasticity in the lung tissue, (relative to the concentration of fibres inhaled and the duration of exposure) resulting in breathing difficulty.
Among those at risk are persons engaged in milling the ore, the manufacture of asbestos products, lagging, asbestos spraying, building, demolition, and laundering of asbestos worker's overalls.
Asbestos fibres enter the body in the air we breathe. Most of the asbestos fibres we breathe - like other dust particles - are stopped long before they enter the small airways of the lungs. However, because asbestos fibres are so small and thin, many of them pass all the way down to the small airways and alveoli (or air sacs.)
Once the fibres are inside the lungs, the body's defence mechanisms try to break them down and remove them. Despite these attempts, many fibres remain in the body and are potential disease-causing agents. Each fibre is a foreign body, rather like a splinter in a finger. Inflammations develop as the body tries to neutralize, break down or move the sharp, irritating fibres. These processes lead to the development of the various kinds of asbestos-caused diseases.
The body's defences often coat these fibres with a layer of protein and they are then called "asbestos bodies." If a piece of lung tissue is stained with an iron stain these asbestos bodies become readily visible under a microscope. Finding enough of these asbestos bodies in lung tissue proves prior occupational exposure to asbestos, but it does not in itself prove that the person has an asbestos disease. (Also, not finding asbestos bodies does not prove that there was no prior exposure to asbestos.)
Symptoms develop slowly after a period of exposure which can vary from a few to many years. In some cases exposure may have begun so long ago that it cannot be recalled. Breathlessness occurs first and progresses as the lung loses its elasticity.
There may be little or no cough and chest pain seldom occurs. The individual becomes weak and distressed on effort and, eventually, even at rest. Unless periodic medicals are introduced the diagnosis will not be made until symptoms appear. Early diagnosis is essential in order to prevent further exposure and an exacerbation of the condition.
Asbestosis predisposes to cancer of the bronchus, a risk increased by cigarette smoking. The chest should ideally be x-rayed every two years and special lung function tests are helpful. Diagnosis depends on history of exposure, chest X-ray, lung function testing, symptoms and physical signs.
Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the lining around the outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs (pleura), or around the abdominal organs (peritoneum)
What does asbestos have to do with mesothelioma?
The only known cause of mesothelioma apart from coal minig activities is previous exposure to asbestos fibres. Asbestos manufacturers knew about the hazards of asbestos seventy years ago - but they kept this knowledge to themselves. The first warnings to workers exposed to asbestos were given in the mid-1960s, and they were terribly inadequate. Even today, workers are not always told they are working around asbestos and are at risk from asbestos disease. |
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