Asbestos-Related Diseases

Asbestos fibres are very tiny and sharp objects which are inhaled into the lungs or swallowed into the stomach. Asbestos was largely used as thermal insulation in products or around the home and workplace, particularly in the 1970s.

Exposure to asbestos fibres is now known to be incredibly harmful and the cause for a number of related diseases. While not all are fatal, they are all very damaging for the overall health of the sufferer. Not everyone who comes into contact with asbestos will develop a related disease, but it is now thought that the greater the exposure, the greater risk of contracting a disease. Which therefore means that prolonged exposure in the workplace causes a greater risk of contraction, hence the proliferation of industrial disease compensation claims for asbestos-related diseases.

• Pleural Plaques: these are small areas of localised thickening or scarring of the lining of the lung which can cause great pain. This may seem to be one of the less severe of the conditions, however there is no known cure and the presence of pleural plaques can be an indication of the incubation of a future, more serious asbestos disease.
• Pleural Thickening: the lining of the lung, or the pleura as it is known, hardens when it is exposed to asbestos fibres. This can happen in one or both lungs and in more severe cases can hamper breathing.
• Asbestosis: (sometimes seen as asbestiosis) this is another type of hardening of the lungs that also restricts breathing. Asbestosis damages the interior of the lungs, making it difficult for them to deliver oxygen to the blood. This leads to a shortness of breath; the heart can overcompensate for this and over-work itself, possibly leading to heart disease and even heart failure in more serious cases.
• Asbestos lung cancer: this is the most common of the asbestos-related diseases and is caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos fibres. Those who smoke and inhale asbestos fibres are thought to be at much higher risk of developing asbestos lung cancer. The early stages of this type of lung cancer can be asymptomatic, which obviously makes diagnosis that much harder.
• Mesothelioma: a rare cancer related to exposure to asbestos where malignant cells develop in the mesothelium, the protective lining that protects most organs in the body, most commonly in the thorax or abdomen, and sometimes the heart. This is the most severe of the asbestos-related diseases and carries a poor prognosis.

All asbestos-related diseases are distressing, particularly if they could have been avoided with sufficient care taken in the workplace to avoid the development of this industrial disease. If you or someone you know has been affected by asbestos and you would like information on claiming for this, contact Claim-Easy.