What is asbestos poisoning?

by Tony Ulrich

Asbestos is known for its distinctive quality to be extremely resistant to heat and fire along with its outstanding durability. It was therefore very popular and widely used by building and construction businesses. Asbestos itself, if it's not damaged or entirely embedded into another material, does not pose a big risk to someone's health. A problem occurs when the microscopically small asbestos fiber particles get airborne and inhaled by a person. The symptoms of asbestos poisoning, such as dry cough, chest pain and shortness of breath, are deceiving as they are very similar to less serious conditions.

Further to that asbestos poisoning is known for having a long latency period. And that makes the diagnosis even more difficult, because by the time the problem is being addressed, the patient's condition has often gotten worse already. Many homes, especially if they were built before 1980, still contain asbestos ceiling in their living and bedrooms. Furthermore, asbestos was liberally used in pipe insulation, house sidings, roof shingles, floor tiles and in fireproof areas.

Asbestos poisoning is typically the successor to more serious diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis or certain forms of lung cancers. Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer and has a rather poor overall diagnosis.

It is critical to every homeowner who is concerned that he and his family might be exposed to this hazardous material, has asbestos testing done as early as possible. It is strongly recommendable not to remove any asbestos products in a do it yourself approach. There are professional asbestos removing companies available that offer their services and are sufficiently equipped to carry out the job in a safe and timely manner.

Having the asbestos removed by experts is certainly more costly; however, the money you will spend on that is nothing in comparison to dealing with asbestos poisoning or even worse, mesothelioma.

About the Author
The author Tony Ulrich was diagnosed with kidney cancer in October of 2009. In his research on what his cancer could have been caused by, he came across with data that suggests a strong link to environmental toxics, such as asbestos. Please visit his Kidney Cancer and Mesothelioma Info Asbestos website for more details.