Asbestos Exposure Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

If you live or work in an older building that may contain asbestos, you should take extra care to understand the health effects of asbestos exposure and your mesothelioma risk. Exposure to asbestos can cause a variety of major health complications down the line, some of which are severe and may result in death.

Through the 1970s, asbestos was a commonly used building material, found in tile, ceilings, insulation, and more. Once it’s discovered, it is often abated or encapsulated. However, due to the popularity and high usage, many buildings still have unmitigated asbestos, making it a concern to this day. 

Understanding your mesothelioma risk, knowing asbestos exposure symptoms, and staying vigilant to your health can go a long way toward a positive outcome. Catching disease symptoms early is the best way to lessen potential negative health effects.

What Is Asbestos Exposure?

If you’ve merely been in the presence of asbestos, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have been exposed to asbestos, especially if it’s been encapsulated. Remember, asbestos is a naturally occurring substance, and everyone is exposed to small levels present in soil and rocks. However, if you’ve been exposed to disturbed asbestos in building materials, such as a tile that has come unglued, or a friable ceiling tile that has begun to disintegrate, it is cause for concern.

Exposure happens when someone inhales asbestos fibers. Those fibers can become trapped in your lungs for decades, eventually causing asbestos exposure symptoms. This could happen if you’re present during a home renovation or demolition. It can also happen if you’ve just ended up in a place with aging materials that have begun to deteriorate. 

Construction workers, especially those who work in renovations, are at a high mesothelioma risk or suffering health effects of asbestos because they can become exposed to the material unintentionally. While they often immediately stop work upon asbestos discovery — or better yet, they suspect asbestos and have it tested before beginning work — they are at a higher risk for developing asbestos exposure problems later in life than the average person. However, asbestos exposure symptoms and disease resulting from exposure are not limited to this subset of people — anyone who has had asbestos exposure may develop health effects of asbestos down the line.

Why Symptoms Are Often Delayed

You may be thinking that if you’ve been exposed to asbestos but don’t immediately have any asbestos exposure symptoms, you’re safe. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Once you’ve been exposed to asbestos, you may experience a higher mesothelioma risk or health effects of asbestos years later, commonly a decade or longer after exposure. Asbestos fibers remain in the lungs, causing inflammation, scarring, and damage that builds up over time.

The long latency period of asbestos exposure means negative health effects often don’t show right away. There are a lot of things that happen in between exposure and disease manifestation, which means that it complicates determining the exact cause of the problem. Early detection can be problematic because of this long latency period. Doctors will need to evaluate your medical history and the progression of your symptoms to determine if you’re experiencing potential health effects of asbestos.

Asbestos Exposure Symptoms

If you’ve been exposed to asbestos, it is important to monitor your health for potential asbestos exposure symptoms and to document how you were exposed, for how long, where, and when. While most health effects of asbestos take a while to manifest, some early symptoms could include mild shortness of breath and a persistent dry cough. You may feel tired more easily or experience some chest discomfort. 

Advanced symptoms that should not be ignored include breathing difficulties, chest pain, a cough that won’t go away, or severe shortness of breath. Additionally, unexplained weight loss is another big concern. You should see a doctor right away if you are experiencing these problems, as it could be a medical emergency or it could be an asbestos exposure symptom. You won’t know until you’re checked out. 

Asbestos-Related Diseases

Unfortunately, if you’ve been exposed to asbestos, there are a number of diseases that may arise as a health effect of asbestos. Asbestos exposure symptoms are all very similar, so if you’re experiencing any, it is best to contact a doctor to determine what exactly you are experiencing and what you can do about it. 

Asbestos-related diseases impact your lungs in a variety of ways. You could develop asbestosis, or lung scarring, which may impair your breathing or cause further complications. Many who have extensive asbestos exposure end up with mesothelioma, a type of lung cancer. Your doctor may be able to help you determine your mesothelioma risk. Additionally, there are other conditions, such as pleural thickening in your lungs, which can also significantly impair your ability to breathe. 

Prevention and Safety Tips

If you suspect you might have asbestos in your home, you need to contact a professional to test it and determine if it is, in fact, asbestos. If it is, there will be steps you can take to hire professionals who can remove or abate the asbestos in accordance with regulations and guidelines set by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, OSHA, and your state EPA and health department. Always follow safety regulations during renovations because, as outlined, there are significant health effects of asbestos.

What To Do If You’ve Been Exposed

If you’ve been exposed to asbestos, try not to worry. You may not have been exposed to enough to cause asbestos exposure symptoms or disease. Document your exposure and exposure history, inform your doctor, avoid additional exposure, and monitor your health. If the exposure occurred in your home, call a professional to have the asbestos abated. 

Additionally, if you start having asbestos exposure symptoms like ongoing respiratory issues or are worried about the health effects of asbestos, make an appointment to see your doctor. While what you’re experiencing may or may not be related to asbestos, anything that affects your breathing is something you want to get checked out. Be sure to advocate for yourself, get the medical screening and imaging you need.

Find Out If You Have Asbestos

If you think you might have asbestos in your home, it’s best to call in a professional to test the material to see if it is indeed asbestos. This way, you will know if you need to monitor yourself for symptoms, or you can potentially eliminate your risk if it was undisturbed. You can get a free estimate from Asbestos Project Management to learn if you have asbestos in your home and if you could end up suffering asbestos exposure symptoms. Contact the professionals at Asbestos Project Management today!