Asbestos Fact Or Myth Number 1

Asbestos Is Still Used On New Buildings?

False

Asbestos has not been used on buildings since the year 2000

Asbestos Fact Or Myth Number 2

If Asbestos Has Been Used In A Building Before 2000 It Must Be Removed

False

If the asbestos is not broken and is in good condition it can remain in place. It is only if it is damaged that it should be removed, and then only by licensed removal experts.

Asbestos Fact Or Myth Number 3

Only People That Worked With Asbestos Can Catch Asbestos Related Diseases

False

Often the spouses who washed the clothes of people who worked with asbestos can also catch asbestos related diseases. Therefore, asbestos related diseases such as asbestosis or mesothelioma can be contracted by spouses of workers.

Asbestos Fact Or Myth Number 4

You Can Only Catch Asbestosis From Exposure To Asbestos Dust?

False

There are several asbestos related diseases, including asbestosis, mesothelioma, lung cancer and pleural thickening. Pleural plaques is not actually an active disease but is caused by exposure to asbestos dust. Mesothelioma is usually accepted to be the worst of the asbestos related diseases.

Asbestos Fact Or Myth Number 5

You Are More Likely To Die From An Asbestos Related Disease Than A Car Accident

True

Probably surprisingly to most people this is true. More people die from asbestos related diseases than do from car accidents.

Asbestos Fact Or Myth Number 6

You Must Go To A Solicitor Yourself To Obtain Compensation

False

There are several ways you can obtain compensation. What you must ensure is that whoever you use guarantees that you will receive all of your compensation. Some claims companies and even some solicitors will take some of your compensation from you at the end of the claim. Many claims companies will ensure that the solicitor you use will let you keep all of your compensation, so it is important to ask the question and choose one of these companies for your asbestos compensation claim.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nicholas_Jervis

It's no secret that things we take for granted every day are man made materials. Most of the time we never even give pause to think about what the objects we interact on a daily basis is made from. Most everything, with few exceptions, is made from chemicals. This is rarely a concern, until it is discovered that a certain chemical can cause medical problems. However, even natural substances can sometimes cause us our bodies harm.

Asbestos is one of the most useful earth materials. However, due to its poisonous content, several countries have banned the use of asbestos. Excessive exposure to this kind of material can cause lung diseases such as lung cancer or mesothelioma. The latter is the common disease caused by too much inhalation of asbestos fibers, powder, dust, or other forms that asbestos may have been breathed into the lungs.

Weight loss, chest pain, fever, fatigue, hoarseness, or coughs are some common symptoms different diseases. However, they are also the symptoms of this lung disease. When a person suffers from mesothelioma, fluid can surround the lungs. In some cases, the mesothelioma may even cause the lung to collapse. This list is by no means conclusive of symptoms associated with mesothelioma. It is highly advised that if you were exposed to asbestos for long periods of time and you think you may be at risk for it, that you talk to a doctor immediately.

Mesothelioma can be detected through medical tests such as an MRI, chest X-rays or CT scans. Cytology and biopsy can also detect the presence of abnormal cells and fluids in the lungs. If this disease is not immediately treated, the lungs will probably collapse.

Since asbestos causes this kind of serious disease, some countries such as New Zealand, Brazil, Australia, and the U.K banned this kind of material. Many people believe that the United States banned it. However, it never was. The Environmental Protection Agency spent millions researching and reporting on the dangers and risks associated with asbestos. Unfortunately, a Federal Court ruled that there was not sufficient evidence to warrant a ban. This is still a sore spot with the EPA to this day.

However, there are some cases wherein this disease is caused by any kind of fibrous silicates instead of asbestos, although the percentage is only minimal.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_Plourde

People are exposed to different elements in their surroundings. Pollutions from different sources serve as health-threats to many individuals, its not just pollution that causes us problems. Exposure to certain toxins and chemicals can also be extremely harmful to our bodies. One example of a substance that is not healthy but products are manufactured from is asbestos. The EPA has determined that asbestos is a cancer causing agent. Yet, despite its best effort to get it banned in the United States, it is not banned. Many people believe that asbestos is banned, but it is not.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to a form of cancer. This form of cancer is commonly referred to as mesothelioma. People who develop this form of cancer were often exposed to asbestos in the form of asbestos particles, asbestos dust, asbestos fibers, or other types of exposure. In fact, many people who washed the clothing of someone who worked with asbestos.

Mesothelioma develops when the mesothelium or the lining that protects most of the human internal organs develop malignant cells. This lung disease does not provide an instant negative health result. It is commonly felt by a person after 20 to 50 years of continuous exposure to asbestos.

If you worked with or lived with someone who worked with asbestos for a long period of time, you should be aware of the common symptoms of mesothelioma. The most common symptoms of mesothelioma include the following: Fatigue, chest pain, weight loss, coughing up blood, fluid around the lung, blood clots, low blood sugar levels, fever, etc... If you or someone you lived with for a long time were exposed to asbestos on a regular basis, it is best to talk to your doctor about this. If severe enough, it can cause the lung to collapse. To find out if the patient does have this lung disease, doctors use one of several tests.

The most common methods used to discover whether a person has mesothelioma are: Chest X-rays, CT scan, magnetic resonance image or MRI. After one of the above forms of testing is done, it is quite common for the doctor to do a biopsy. A biopsy is a procedure where the doctor takes a lung tissue sample. Once the results from these tests are back, the doctor will be able to determine whether the condition is present or not conclusively.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Donald_Plourde

Mesothelioma is a cancer that occurs in the lining of the lungs. Its main cause is thought to be contact with asbestos. About 3000 new cases are reported every year in the United States, with about 8 million people having been exposed to asbestos in the last 50 years. Safety measures have been put into place in the last couple of decades so as to protect people from asbestos exposure; therefore, some think that the number of cases of mesothelioma will peak around 2020 and that it will begin to decline after that, since exposure to asbestos by then will have been quite rare.

Of course, as with any cancer, early detection and treatment is imperative if there's any hope of survival. However, mesothelioma patients are at a disadvantage in this area, because symptoms take anywhere between 20 and 50 years to manifest after the exposure. Because of this, patients are older, usually over 50. In addition, first symptoms can masquerade as many other less serious ailments. This makes diagnosis quite difficult. Because of this, the cancer is quite likely to be advanced once it has been detected. There is no fully effective treatment available. However, most experts believe that combination therapy increases survival rate versus monotherapy. Research into mesothelioma treatment continues.

Studies on survival of mesothelioma patients show that the disease has a fatality rate of almost 100%. Once diagnosed with mesothelioma, the average survival rate stands roughly six months to two years. There have been exceptions, which continue to give hope to other mesothelioma patients and their families. Life expectancy is dependent on many things, including its stage at diagnosis (mesothelioma has four stages, with four being the most advanced) and the type of mesothelioma diagnosed. Tests conducted on the tissue structure of mesothelioma cells found that sarcomatous cells' existence meant a median survival rate of about 11 months, 11 months for mixed cells, and 12.5 months for epithelial cells.

However, that said, there are other things that influence mesothelioma survival rate. Mesothelioma has a survival rate of about 9% five years after diagnosis, which means there are most definitely people who do survive long-term with this disease. Some of those people are symptom free. And of course, research continues to be done so that one day a cure may be available.

One of the things that influences survival rate is health at the time of diagnosis. Obviously, if you're healthier at the time of diagnosis, you're probably going to have a better chance of beating the disease or at least surviving long-term versus someone who is in poor health. The size of the tumor also matters, as does the amount of fluid in the chest cavity. If the tumor can be completely removed, this also improves the survival rate. The type of cells present (as described above) also matter. If this is a recurrence, then survival rates are likely to be poorer than those of a first diagnosis.

If you have mesothelioma, or if you have a family member who does, don't give up hope. The Internet abounds with resources for those with mesothelioma and their family members. These resources are invaluable, because not only do they allow you to provide support and encouragement to others in the same situation, but you are also privy to the latest developments in treatment. Thus, these types of resources can make an unbearable situation at least easier to deal with. And of course, your health care practitioner will also likely have resources for you.



Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rita_Lambros-Segur