Dangers of asbestos
Asbestos is a hidden killer that can cause four serious diseases
(described below). These diseases will not affect you immediately; they
often take a long time to develop, but once diagnosed, it is often too late
to do anything. There is a need for you to protect yourself now.
Mesothelioma - a cancer which affects the lining of the
lungs (pleura) and the lining surrounding the lower digestive tract
(peritoneum). It is almost exclusively related to asbestos exposure and by
the time it is diagnosed, it is almost always fatal.
Asbestos-related lung cancer - a lung cancer caused by
smoking and other causes. It is estimated that there is around one lung
cancer for every mesothelioma death.
Asbestosis - a serious scarring condition of the lung that
normally occurs after heavy exposure to asbestos over many years. This
condition can cause progressive shortness of breath, and in severe cases can
be fatal.
Pleural thickening - is generally a problem that happens
after heavy asbestos exposure. The lining of the lung (pleura) thickens and
swells. If this gets worse, the lung itself can be squeezed, and can cause
shortness of breath and discomfort in the chest.