Some people think that natural objects and materials are inherently safer than synthetics created by humans. However, people only need to learn the basics about asbestos exposure to realize the fault lines in that concept.
Countless naturally-occurring substances are incredibly dangerous, including asbestos. Asbestos is a mineral substance that has played a key role in multiple different industries. It is a powerful fire retardant and insulator, which means that it has served a role in the production of thousands of different products, ranging from Navy vessels to insulated popcorn ceiling spray.
Those exposed to asbestos environmentally or on the job could eventually become very sick. The following illnesses have a known association with asbestos exposure.
Multiple forms of cancer
When people talk about the dangers of asbestos, they often focus primarily on how those exposed to asbestos have an increased risk of developing cancer. For example, medical researchers have recently connected asbestos exposure, possibly caused by contaminated health and beauty products, to debilitating and deadly reproductive cancers. Some people develop lung cancer because they have inhaled asbestos. Mesothelioma, which is one of the deadliest forms of cancer, also has a strong relationship with asbestos exposure. Experts recognize asbestos as a known human carcinogen, meaning that any degree of exposure could potentially cause cancer decades later.
Lung issues
Even someone who has never done anything dangerous, like experimenting with tobacco, could develop lung cancer after exposure to asbestos. Those who do have a history of tobacco use may have a significantly higher risk of lung cancer than those who only use tobacco products and do not have exposure to asbestos. Cancer isn’t the only respiratory illness that asbestos exposure causes. There is also a chronic lung disease called asbestosis that can develop in those who inhale asbestos. Asbestosis can cause shortness of breath and severe scarring inside the lungs.
Coping with the implications of chronic lung disease or cancer can generate not just massive costs but also major financial losses in the form of unearned wages during someone’s illness or treatment. Those who pursue a compensation claim against a former employer or a business that exposed them to asbestos can sometimes recoup the financial losses generated by an asbestos-related illness.
Connecting a recent diagnosis with asbestos exposure is an important first step for those who want to hold a business accountable for the harm that they’re enduring as a result of that exposure.