Why is asbestos dangerous
These fibres are tiny – roughly 600 times thinner than a human hair – and so they cannot be easily detected or avoided. However, inhalation over a prolonged period of time can be deadly, and by the time as asbestos-related disease is diagnosed, it is usually too late and the prognosis is fatal.
- Asbestosis- scarring of lung tissue that eventually restricts one’s ability to inhale.
- Lung Cancer – with the risk being some 50 times greater for those who smoke
- Mesothelioma – a rare and even more deadly type of cancer of the lung lining and chest wall
What if I’ve been exposed to asbestos?
Particularly at risk are those who would have come into contact with Asbestos Containing Materials (ACMs) that were sawed, scraped, sanded, etc., such as construction workers and shipyard workers who handled ACMs during the peak of its popularity. Tradesmen who frequently work on buildings constructed between the 1950s and 1980s continue to be at risk.
Most people exposed to small levels of asbestos, as we all are, do not develop asbestos-related disease. However, that is no cause for complacency, as even small levels of asbestos fibre inhalation can cause health problems for some. And worryingly, symptoms do not quickly show up. It usually takes between 20 and 30 years from first exposure to asbestos for them to develop to a noticeable point.
Symptoms of asbestos-related disease
- Shortness of breath
- A persistent cough or a change in cough pattern
- Blood in the fluid coughed up
- Pain in the chest or abdomen
- Difficulty in swallowing or prolonged hoarseness
- Significant weight loss
Thousands of deaths each year
This is why asbestos management and asbestos removal and disposal has become so important.
For any needs related to asbestos surveys and asbestos removals in Hampshire, Surrey, Dorset, West Sussex, Berkshire, Wiltshire, Kent, and Greater London, Meyer Environmental Ltd. are here to help – expert, efficiently, and professionally, but at some of the most competitive rates available.
To get in touch, just use our online contact form, e-mail admin@meyerdesign-build.co.uk, or telephone 0239 307 2182
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