Asbestos-related illnesses
Exposure to airborne asbestos fibres poses a serious risk to human health, so much so that the World Health Organisation is pushing for the production of asbestos materials to be halted completely. In the United Kingdom and the European Union, the use of all types of asbestos is already banned.
The health risk is caused by the tiny asbestos fibres that are released into the atmosphere when asbestos materials are disturbed (such as during manufacturing processes) or become decomposed. These individual asbestos fibres are miniscule, invisible to the human eye. It is said that 2 million can fit on a pin head. Being so small, asbestos fibres are easily inhaled, where they can become trapped in the lungs and the tissue surrounding the lungs (the pleura). Over time, these trapped fibres can cause scarring and inflammation, breathing difficulties and more serious problems, including cancer.
People who become ill due to asbestos exposure have usually been exposed to asbestos fibres on a regular basis (though there is no known safe level of exposure). Most of the people subjected to regular asbestos exposure are those who worked directly with the material. The type of the exposure experienced will determine the extent of the risk. Besides the duration of the exposure, factors such as the amount of fibres inhaled, the type of fibres inhaled and individual characteristics (for example, smokers are more at risk of developing asbestos-related lung cancer) will affect the likelihood of asbestos exposure leading to health problems. Those particularly at risk include:
- Pipe fitters
- Shipyard workers
- Metal plate workers
- Carpenters
- Plumbers
- Electricians
- Other construction workers
The following five conditions are those most commonly associated with airborne asbestos exposure. With the exception of pleural plaques, it may be possible to obtain compensation if you suffer from one or more of these conditions. Please click the condition to find out more.
Asbestos-related industrial disease is often subject to what is known as a ‘latency period’. This means that the symptoms of the illness do not appear for many years (up to 60 years in some cases and there is no upper limit on this time period) after the patient was exposed to asbestos fibres. Some common symptoms which tend to be associated with asbestos-related disease, and which make it important to visit a doctor if you have previously been exposed to asbestos fibres include:
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Wheezing or crackling sounds when breathing
- Persistent cough that worsens over time
- Coughing up blood
- Chest pain
- Difficulty swallowing
- Weight loss or loss of appetite
- Swelling of the neck or face
- Vomiting or nausea
- Fatigue
- Accumulation of fluid in the pleura
It is impossible for us to provide comprehensive guidance on all of the health risks associated with asbestos on this website. If you have been exposed to airborne asbestos fibres at some point in the past and believe that this may have affected your health, you are advised to visit your doctor, even if you have yet to show any symptoms.
If you have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related industrial disease and would like to find out about beginning an asbestos compensation claim, please phone Humphreys & Co. today. Your enquiry will be handled by an experienced asbestos compensation partner, who will be able to advise you as to the strength of your case. Click here for our contact details.
