The Killer Lurking in Your Home
When you purchase an older home, you might not realize how dangerous some of the building materials were back then. Many people expose themselves to toxic materials without even realizing it. You could be doing a home improvement project and run into poisonous shingles or deadly siding. It is important to know how dangerous asbestos can be before deciding to remove it. Asbestos causes a number of diseases, some of them deadly.
Mesothelioma
Asbestos is banned for some uses, but you will still find it in shingles, siding, coatings and other compounds. It is a highly toxic chemical. It causes a highly specific type of cancer called mesothelioma. Before working with asbestos, you should have at least some mesothelioma information.
Mesothelioma is responsible for killing hundreds of construction workers, military men, shipwrights and others who suffer exposure to asbestos. It has an excessively high mortality rate and is very often untreatable. This particular building material is so dangerous that networks are set up for those suffering from it.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer begins in the lungs and usually progresses quickly from there. Asbestos accounts for around 20% of all lung cancer cases in the United States every year. Although if caught early, lung cancer might be curable, whereas mesothelioma has a much higher mortality rate.
Asbestos Related Diseases
Several other diseases are related to asbestos that do not include malignant cancers.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis this one of the building materials is a scarring of the lungs due to breathing in the asbestos fibers. When the tiny fibers stick into the delicate tissues in the lungs, the immune system forms scars. This scarring can lead to fatal pulmonary and cardiac complications. It by itself is not fatal, but these complications can pose serious health risks.
Pleural Plaques
Pleural plaques are collagen that’s been calcified by the human body. These plaques are not usually dangerous, but in a few cases, they thicken and are indicative of the presence of asbestos cancers.
Pleural Effusion
Pleural effusion is a fluid build-up in your lungs. This can cause a dangerous cough and will make you more prone to pneumonia and other lung infections.
Make no mistake, if you have asbestos in your home, it is dangerous. Working with even a small amount of asbestos fibers can cause serious complications. This is why the EPA and other agencies regulate the removal and abatement of this dangerous building material. As an unbroken shingle or siding, asbestos is benign, but it can easily become a killer once it is broken or damaged.