What are the effects of asbestos on human health?

Someone would have advised you to choose an asbestos survey London company before you renovate your home. It is because of the dangerous effects of the element on your health. In this article, let us discuss some of the effects of asbestos.

Effects of asbestos on human health

Lung cancer

You will get infected by asbestos fibers only through the inhalation of the air contaminated with asbestos fibers. As inhalation deals with the respiratory system of humans, the lungs will be the primary organ to get the effects of asbestos. If you are being with a person who has been affected by asbestos, you may also get affected. These fibers will get deposited around and inside the lungs and will cause several diseases. Lung cancer is common among people who are exposed to asbestos for a long time. Apart from this, there are some other varieties of cancer that can make you sick due to asbestos exposure. These are as follows,

Mesothelioma – Mesothelioma is a rare type of lung cancer predominantly caused due to asbestos exposure. This cancer will affect the joining line of your chest, lungs, and abdomen. Hence, you will feel loaded, and there will be severe chest pain. Liquid could not move away and will get accumulated around your lungs. You could not breathe easily with this disease. Your rib cages will rip you off with pain with a never-ending cough. It is common to get frequent fatigue and constipation if you have this rare disease. Chemotherapy and some other radiation treatments can help in some minor cases. But the problem associated with the disease is that there will not be any symptoms from the moment you get affected by the asbestos fibers till about 20 years. So, the possibilities of earlier treatment are less.

Asbestosis – If you are staying in an environment where the air is contaminated with asbestos fibers, you will develop asbestosis in your body. It is another type of lung cancer caused due to this harmful element. You can get to know that you have the disease with the white rounds formed on your fingernails and toenails. Along with this, you will experience severe pain in your chest. Most patients will feel shortness of breath and will respirate poorly. The cough will become an additional effect. If the disease is extreme, you may get permanent malfunctioning of your lungs. In such cases, you would have to look for a lung transplant.

Other effects on the body

Apart from these lung-related diseases, asbestos exposure is dangerous because of the following effects on your body.

Laryngeal effects – If you are exposed to asbestos for a long, there will be an increased incidence of laryngitis.

Immune system effects – When you could not find any symptoms of the above diseases, you may have some effects on your immune system due to the asbestos exposure. Some studies have shown that the workers involved in renovation processes dealing with asbestos have their immune system with reduced functionality.