Asbestosis

• Asbestosis is a long-term and progressive lung disease. Asbestos fibers irritate the lung tissue, causing lung scarring and difficulties in transporting oxygen to the blood. Asbestosis symptoms might not appear for 20 or more years after exposure. Symptoms include shortness of breath, chest pain or tightness, cough and a crackling sound in the lungs upon inhalation. The severity of the disease depends on how long a person was around asbestos. Though asbestosis can not be cured, it can be treated with medications and percussion to loosen secretions. Some people with asbestosis might need to use an oxygen tank or receive a lung transplant.
  
  

Lung Cancer

• According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, lung cancer causes the most asbestos-related deaths. Some common symptoms of lung cancer are coughing, shortness of breath, breathing changes, hoarseness in the voice and chest pain.
  
  

Mesothelioma

• Mesothelioma is a rare cancer found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that surrounds most of the body's internal organs. According to the National Cancer Institute, exposure to asbestos is reported in 70 percent to 80 percent of mesothelioma cases. Symptoms might not appear for more than 30 years after the initial asbestos exposure. Symptoms include weight loss, abdominal pain, bowel obstruction, anemia, fever and blood clotting abnormalities.
  
  

Asbestos Danger Zones

• People most likely to become exposed to asbestos are employees of industries that use asbestos. For example, construction workers who demolish and renovate buildings are likely to be around loose asbestos fibers. Also at risk are people who do brake and clutch repair work and people who manufacture asbestos products such as textiles and building materials.
  
  

Reduce Your Chances of Exposure

• If you believe a material at your job or in your home contains asbestos, do not disturb it. Have a professional inspector test for asbestos before you choose to do any remodeling or destruction of potentially hazardous items. If you know that an object around you contains asbestos and it becomes damaged, quarantine it and contact a professional who can help repair or remove it.