Asbestos is a material which is no longer used but in the past it was a common material for building contractors to use when insulating buildings. Asbestos was used as an insulator in commercial buildings for a long time because nobody knew that the fibres were very dangerous if inhaled or to the skin. Because nobody knew about the dangers, people worked near the material and with the material without any protective clothing and exposed themselves to terrible health risks.
There are multiple diseases which are caused by working with asbestos or in places which use asbestos. Although some are more serious than others, all of them are extremely damaging. The most serious is Mesothelioma which is a type of cancer and damages the lower digestive tract and lining of the lung. By the time someone is diagnosed with Mesothelioma it is almost always fatal.
Then there is asbestosis which like Mesothelioma can also be fatal in the worst cases. Asbestosis usually occurs in people who have had long term exposure to asbestos, normally over a period of years. The inhaled fibres cause the inside of the lung to become scarred and over time as the condition worsens it can become more and more difficult for the sufferer to breathe.
As well as Asbestosis and Mesothelioma there is pleural thickening which isn’t as serious as the others but it can cause severe discomfort and lower the person’s standard of living significantly. Pleural thickening is thickening of the inner lining of the lung which lowers breathing capacity. People who suffer from pleural thickening can find themselves getting out of breath very easily and often have to give up any vigorous activity.
Finally and very unfortunately it has been confirmed that asbestos exposure causes cancer. Asbestos caused lung cancer is like any other lung cancer and is quite commonly fatal. It is estimated that for every two deaths which are diagnosed as lung cancer, one of them comes from exposure to asbestos.
Find out more about making an asbestos compensation claim.