Asbestos Exposure

The major symptoms of an asbestos related disease are difficulty in breathing, particularly on physical exercise for example walking upstairs and a productive cough (which might include coughing up blood). Asbestos related illnesses include:-

Diffuse Pleural Thickening – This affects the outer lining of the lungs, which become scarred and thicken, causing restriction of lung function.

Asbestosis – The scarring of the lung tissue caused by inhaling of asbestos fibres. Causes shortness of breath and respiratory disability.

Mesothelioma – A cancer almost always caused by asbestos exposure which affects the outer lining of the lungs and sometimes the lining of the abdominal cavity.

Lung Cancer – Can be caused by exposure to asbestos.

People who have worked in the industries below may have been exposed to asbestos through their workplace:

• Ship workers, Dock workers and their families
• Laggers
• Plumbers
• Electricians
• Builders
• Boiler servicemen
• Fire fighters