Asbestos fibers can enter the body through breathing or ingestion. Asbestos fibers get trapped into the mucus membrane on the nose or throat. However, some of them can pass and go all the way to the digestive tract or the lungs. When this happens, asbestos may cause some severe health problems which include;
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a respiratory disease that aggravates lung tissues causing a non-cancerous scar. The disease symptoms include dry and cracking sound in the lungs and shortness of breath. When not diagnosed early, asbestosis can advance to a stage where it causes cardiac failure. Asbestosis has no cure and can cause a disability or fatality.
Lung Cancer
Asbestos exposure is also associated with lung cancer deaths. Symptoms of lung cancer include breathing difficulties, coughing, anemia, chest pains, and hoarseness. People who work in mining industries, milling or manufacturing using asbestos have higher risks of getting lung cancer. Asbestos exposure and smoking increase the risks of suffering from lung cancer.
Mesothelioma
This is a rare cancer form that affects the thin lining of the membrane of the chest, lungs, heart, and abdomen. The disease takes some form of a tumor that starts in the pleura spreading to the lungs and the chest. The disease develops many years after asbestos exposure, and it has no cure at the moment. People who are at risk of suffering from mesothelioma include those working at the mines, shipyards, and factories that use asbestos.
These are three of the most common diseases that occur as a result of asbestos exposure. Don't worry because you won't contract any of these diseases if you don't inhale asbestos fibers directly.
See asbestos testing in Sydney for more information.