taken from a journal;
Some asbestos-related illnesses do not give off visible symptoms until many years later, even decades after the early being exposed. However, some people exhibit severe ailments within a few months of exposure from asbestos.
The length of exposure to asbestos also correlates to the seriousness of the illness. People who had long-term asbestos exposure are much more likely to experience more pronounced forms of the disease rather than those individuals whose exposure from the fiber lasted for only a few months.
Asbestos can contribute to a variety of illnesses from bronchitis to emphysema. However, there are three diseases for which it can be a primary instigator and all are potentially terminal.
* Asbestosis - chronic progressive disease that requires long-term exposure to asbestos fibers. Once asbestos is inhaled, fibers penetrate the breathing passages and fill, inflame, irritate and scar the lung tissues that cause this disease.
* Mesothelioma - asbestos can develop this life-threatening disease that affects the abdomen, chest and areas around the heart. This is more of a concern for industrial or construction workers, often affecting more men than women generally.
* Lung Cancer - exposure from asbestos increases the risk of having lung cancer by nine times than that of cigarette smoking. A combination of asbestos exposure and cigarette smoking raises the risk to as much as 50 times higher.