Asbestos is the name given to a fibrous mineral present in ore-bearing rock mined from an open pit or an underground mine. Asbestos is a group of naturally occurring fibrous minerals. The fibres can be breathed in to the lungs where they stay for plenty of years. These minerals, present in soil and rocks in plenty of parts of the world, are made of magnesium, silicon, and other elements. Some asbestos fibers are curly (or "serpentine"). The most common asbestos in industrial use, known as chrysotile, or white asbestos, has curly fibers. Other asbestos fibers are straight and needle-like (or "amphibole"). These include amosite, crocidolite, tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite. Asbestos fibers are resistant to heat and plenty of chemicals. As a result, asbestos has been used as an insulating material since ancient times. Since the industrial revolution, asbestos was used to insulate factories, schools, homes, and ships, to make automobile brake and clutch parts, roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, cement, and textiles, and hundreds of other products. Asbestos was a common building material, but now they know that long term exposure to this mineral may cause illnesses like cancer. These substances form fibers with varying shapes and sizes and are found throughout the earth. There are three often obtainable types of asbestos; chrysotile (white asbestos), amosite (brown asbestos), and crocidolite (blue asbestos). All three have been associated with cancerous and non-cancerous lung illness.
The most common way for asbestos fibers to enter the body is through breathing. In fact, asbestos containing material isn't usually thought about to be harmful unless it is releasing dust or fibers in to the air where they can be inhaled or ingested. Lots of of the fibers will become trapped in the mucous membranes of the nose & throat where they can then be removed, but some may pass deep in to the lungs, or, if swallowed, in to the digestive tract. One time they are trapped in the body, the fibers may cause health issues. The most serious hazard of exposure to asbestos is cancer, & it takes less exposure to asbestos to cause cancer than to cause asbestosis. Three kinds of cancer are strongly related to asbestos: lung cancer & mesothelioma. In addition, asbestos also causes cancer of the throat, stomach, esophagus, & bowel.
Lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure is the same kind of cancer as that caused by smoking. It is hard to diagnose early, it spreads quickly, & can seldom be cured.
Exposure to asbestos is unlikely to cause any short term (acute) effects beyond irritation of the nose or throat. It is the long-term (chronic) effects that are debilitating & deadly. Every kind of asbestos causes cancer, & every kind of asbestos may cause asbestosis. People are exposed to asbestos chiefly through inhalation of fibers in the air they breathe. This may occur in the course of mining & processing of asbestos, in the course of the production of asbestos-containing products, or in the course of the installation of asbestos insulation. It may also occur when older asbestos-containing materials start to break down. In any of these situations, asbestos fibers tend to generate a dust composed of small particles that can float in the air. In addition, asbestos can enter the body through ingestion. This may occur when people consume contaminated food or liquids (such as water that flows through asbestos cement pipes). It may also occur when people cough up asbestos they have inhaled, then swallow their saliva. Lots of people are exposed to low levels of naturally occurring asbestos in outdoor air due to erosion of asbestos-bearing rocks. Relatives members of asbestos workers are also potentially exposed to higher levels of asbestos because the fibers are carried home on the workers' clothing, & can then be inhaled by others in the household. Inhalation of asbestos fibers has been proven to cause lung cancer.
Lung cancer in asbestos-exposed & unexposed individuals is similar in both the type of cancer & its signs & signs. The link between cigarette smoking, asbestos & cancer of the lung itself does not apply to cancer of the lining of the lung (see malignant mesothelioma section below). Diagnosis &
treatment of lung cancer is a complex topic & a pulmonary specialist ought to be involved in the workup of a suspected lung cancer. Exposure to asbestos fibers, either at home or in the workplace, is also thought about a risk factor for lung cancer. Studies show that compared to the general population, asbestos workers are three times more likely to die from lung cancer. Asbestos workers who smoke increase their risk of getting lung cancer by 50-100 times. The risk of asbestos-related abnormalities & sickness usually increases with increasing levels of exposure. This dose-response relationship is less clear for mesothelioma, where even short-term occupational exposures or secondary household exposures (e.g., household contacts of asbestos workers) have been associated with the occurrence of this malignancy. As asbestos exposures have declined in the workplace due to regulatory control, cases of extreme interstitial sickness have also decreased. Mesothelioma is a speedy spreading cancer that is always caused by exposure to asbestos. It can take 30 or 40 years after exposure to create. Mesothelioma usually starts in the membrane that wraps around the lungs, called the pleura. The cancer cells cause a build-up of fluid between the pleura & the lungs, which in turn causes pressure on the lungs. The signs are shortness of breath & a dry, painful cough. The cancer may finally grow in to the chest wall. Often times, the cancer can create in the lining of the abdomen, the membranes of the heart or reproductive organs. Among lots of recently screened cohorts, pleural changes are more prevalent than interstitial changes. There is small proof that general environmental exposures are associated with significant sickness except in several regions of the world with endemic mesothelioma due to exposures from naturally-occurring deposits of asbestos.
Lung cancer causes the largest number of deaths related to asbestos exposure. The incidence of lung cancer in individuals who are directly involved in the mining, milling, manufacturing & use of asbestos & its products is much higher than in the general population. The most common signs of lung cancer are coughing & a alter in breathing. Other signs include shortness of breath, persistent chest pains, hoarseness, & anemia. The association between lung cancer & asbestos exposure is now well established. In the case of smokers who have had significant asbestos exposure, the risk of lung cancer is extraordinarily high. Lung cancer in asbestos exposed workers is thought to occur at a slightly earlier age than other lung cancers & are more common in the lower lobes.
