Asbestos is a combination of six silicate minerals, which existed for 4,000 years in silent form until manufacturers and builders discovered its unique properties and started using it as electrical insulation and building insulation. The asbestos usage has shown an undaunted increase ever since.
Who is at risk?
Primary Exposure: Unlimited and heavy exposure to Asbestos by workers and laborers involved in the construction industry, repairs of ships, specifically, during the removal of asbestos materials while renovation, repairs, or demolition face higher risks. Also, workers involved in the manufacturing of asbestos products such as textiles, friction products, insulation, other building materials, automotive brake and clutch repair work who inhaled and ingested Asbestos, unknowingly or knowingly, are/were at risk.
Secondary exposure: Family members indirectly exposed to asbestos fibers carried along with the clothes, hair, and skin of their near ones carry equal chances of being affected.
The following symptoms help detect asbestos-related diseases:
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Shortness of breath, wheezing, or hoarseness
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A persistent cough that gets worse over time
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Blood in the sputum (fluid) coughed up from the lungs
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Pain or tightening in the chest
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Difficulty swallowing
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Swelling of the neck or face
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Loss of appetite
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Weight loss
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Fatigue or anemia
Cancers caused by asbestos exposure:
Mesothelioma: A rare and incurable cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs or abdomen.
Lung Cancer: Approximately 4% of all lung cancer cases are Asbestos-related.
Ovarian Cancer: In 2012, The International Agency for Research on Cancer concluded that asbestos causes ovarian cancer.
Laryngeal Cancer: In 2006, The National Institutes of Health confirmed that asbestos caused laryngeal cancer.
