Thursday, November 18, 2010

Asbestos, asbestos exposure and mesothelioma - an overview

Asbestos
The literal meaning of the word "asbestos" comes from Greek and means "indelible." Rightly named, this long fibrous mineral was widely used for thousands of years because of its refractory properties. In fact, the ancient Greeks used asbestos for burial dress of kings, which should be burned. Both the Greeks and Romans used asbestos fiber napkins to clean it by throwing into the fire.

In modern times, has asbestosused since the same reason. In addition, the mineral is very resistant to heat, salt water, corrosion and other biological processes. It is lightweight, extremely strong and can be woven cloth or mixed with building materials like concrete. Asbestos has been used for insulation in a variety of products and structures, including the ceilings, walls, toaster and hairdryer. It was generally used on ships and in military applications, and was at one point its use evenOn behalf of the U.S. military.

Unfortunately, it is now known that asbestos that poses huge health risks. Pleural plaques, asbestosis and mesothelioma cancer are just some of the diseases that can be caused by asbestos, especially if the exposure is extended and / or repeated. Although the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder observed a "disease of the lungs" in slaves, who worked with the fiber, and the first case of asbestosis has been established already in the 1920s,in England, the material was used in industrial applications, and its adverse effects have been ignored or even covered up on purpose, for decades.

Asbestos exposure
Asbestos, once disturbed there, tiny particles that are typically invisible to the human eye in the air. once inhaled, these particles are released into the mesothelium that protects the outside covering the heart, lungs and stomach. The fibers can not be exhaled or otherwise removed from theBody as soon as they filed into the body soft tissues.

Exposure to dangerous asbestos fibers that caused the development of asbestos cancer in a variety of different people and professions over the years. The exposure was through the production of asbestos from the earth, construction or demolition occurred asbestos-containing construction materials and even by washing clothes that were contaminated by asbestos. Various asbestos-related diseases, including mesothelioma, werediagnosed people from all walks of life.

Mesothelioma
Mesothelioma is an aggressive cancer whose only known cause is asbestos exposure. Mesothelioma often has a long latency period, and even decades can go undetected for years or. Over time it is diagnosed with cancer in advanced stage of a generally difficult to achieve, to determine what very undergo such treatment of mesothelioma. This means that we still do not understand thefull impact of the widespread use of asbestos in the first decades of the 20th Century, since so many people and especially diagnosed.

Mesothelioma symptoms are usually unspecific and resemble those of common diseases, such as viral pneumonia, heart disease, flu and bronchitis. These symptoms include dyspnea (shortness of breath) or causing difficulty breathing, coughing and / or coughing up blood, chest or abdominal pain of too much fluid, weight loss, hoarse voice, Difficulty swallowing, fever, anemia, intestinal obstruction, inability to sleep, and loss of appetite. Because of the similarity to many other diseases, mesothelioma is often misdiagnosed or not diagnosed accurately, until it has reached an advanced stage. As with all cancers, mesothelioma can be treated effectively if diagnosed early, but given the long latency period and its symptoms' similarities to other health issues, it is rare.

Currently> Mesothelioma is not curable. There is, treatments that are used to slow the progression of the disease or provide palliative care. Established therapies such as chemotherapy and radiation, experimental treatments and holistic therapies can all be used individually or in combination.

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