Asbestos exposure and buildings
Everyone is living inside a building of a kind. Each of these buildings is made of several construction materials. One could not know what are all the components of each of these building materials. One such component present in these materials that is extremely harmful to human health is asbestos. Although the element will not hurt you physically when it is kept undisturbed, any renovation activities on your building will start threatening you with several health issues. Since asbestos can release fibers into the air when it is disturbed, you may inhale this contaminated air during the destruction or renovation processes. So, you will end up with several health issues. Considering the seriousness of the presence of this element in building materials and other areas of frequent destruction, the governments of all countries came up with a ban on the direct usage of it in construction. However, there will be a bit of asbestos hanging over your buildings even at present. Hence, you should assess the amount of asbestos present in your building with any asbestos testing method. After the test, you can proceed with the process accordingly. However, if you forget to test the presence of asbestos in your building, you will end up with any of the following health hazards in the long run.
Health hazards due to the exposure to asbestos fibers
Lung cancer and other damages
The primary health issue with regards to exposure to asbestos-contaminated air is lung cancer and other diseases related to your lungs. If you are a smoker, you will easily get affected as your lungs would have damaged already. The sediments of asbestos fibers on your lungs will cause cancer, and it is tedious to cure it. One type of lung-related cancer caused due to asbestos exposure is Mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma
If you are exposed to asbestos-contaminated air for a long time, you will get a rare type of cancer known as Mesothelioma. Once you get this, the lining between your lungs that connects the chest, lungs, and abdomen will get affected. It will cause liquid buildup around your lungs during the initial stages. Slowly, you will experience pain in your rib cages and belly. Over time, you will have a cough and will find it difficult to breathe. People with Mesothelioma will experience fatigue and constipation. You would have to undergo treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, and surgeries to fight it. However, you will not notice any symptoms for 20 years after exposure.
Asbestosis
Once you expose yourself to asbestos-filled air for a long time, you will see some side effects of asbestosis (another type of lung cancer) after several years. Some of these symptoms will include chest pain and the whitened rounds on your nails. Along with these, you will have a severe cough, shortness of breath. Some patients may lose their lung’s proper functioning permanently because of asbestosis. You would have to do a lung transplant if the symptoms go severe.
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