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Asbestos Fibers Resist being Eliminated by the Body and Cause Cancer and Disease

The inhalation of asbestos fibers can cause three serious—and often fatal—diseases. Two of which, asbestosis and lung cancer, affect the lungs, while the third, mesothelioma, affects the lining of the lung and abdominal cavities.

Repeated exposure to all asbestos fiber types is associated with asbestosis and increased risk of lung cancer. Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer, can be dramatically increased by exposure to amosite, crocidolite, or tremolite asbestos. Mesothelioma causes one in every 10,000 deaths in America today.

Other factors—such as the length of the fibers, and the duration and degree of exposure—can help determine the health hazard posed by asbestos.

Decades of Secrecy and Silence by Manufacturers’

For decades, manufacturers’ kept information about asbestos-related health risks from their employees. They put their workers into harm’s way, and placed their loved ones at risk for secondhand exposure. They maneuvered to keep their businesses alive by pressuring doctors to remain quiet, and manipulating research findings—even while facing stiffening regulation and rising health concerns in the media.

Decades Before Victims Learn their Fate

After a person is exposed to asbestos, decades will pass before he or she will show any symptoms of an asbestos-related disease. Often these symptoms appear only when the disease has already reached a life-threatening stage.

People who have been exposed to asbestos regularly for ten or more years are at the greatest risk for getting asbestosis. Anyone who falls into this category, and who also suffers from respiratory problems should consult their physician as soon as possible. Asbestosis symptoms are:

• Difficulty in breathing caused by inflexibility of the lung tissue
• Coughing, and chest pain
• Fingers may get thicker in a process called clubbing
In addition, asbestosis can lead to other medical problems. For instance:
• Restriction of movement in the lungs by the scar tissue can cause pressure to build up in the arteries that supply the lungs with blood
• High blood pressure in the lungs can create more stress on the heart, and it fails from the strain

Let us help you determine whether an earlier exposure harmed you or your loved ones. Just fill out the FREE case evaluation and a member of Seeger Weiss's staff will contact you.