Health Care

Jennifer White


While tracing the history of asbestos it was found that its usage dates back to 2000 years. The name 'asbestos' was first used by the Greeks, which meant 'inextinguishable'. Though the Greeks also noted the harmful effect of asbestos, yet they did not pay any heed to its dangers because according to them it had magical powers that had to be used to fulfill the daily purposes of life.

The Roman naturalist Pliny and the Greek geographer Strabo also noted the devastating effect of asbestos on human beings but they did not arise any questions considering its several magical uses in their regular life.

Some Facts about Asbestos

What is Asbestos?

Asbestos is the term given to a collection of six naturally occurring minerals that are incombustible and separable into filaments. These six minerals are chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, anthophyllite, termolite and actinolite. Among these six asbestos minerals, the first three are abundantly used in manufacturing of industrial and commercial products.

Uses of Asbestos

Asbestos was being used since ancient Greek times and its usage continued till 1700, but it was popularized after the Industrial Revolution. It was used in construction mainly in steel pipes, industries, steam pipes, hand held hair dryers to prevent over heating, household items and in several other industries for various purposes.

Versatility of Asbestos

The reason for the popularity of asbestos was its power of resistance to electricity and its fire and heat proofing capacities. Being a fireproof or incombustible material, asbestos is impervious to every weather effect. This high tensile strength and flexibility makes asbestos very versatile for usage in various products and industries.

Diseases caused by Asbestos

One of the deadliest diseases caused by asbestos is mesothelioma cancer. It has become a threat to human civilization causing pain, suffering and loss of thousands of lives. The mortality rate is so high that eight out of ten mesothelioma patients pass away even before the treatment starts. It is a deadly cancer caused mainly to those who are exposed to asbestos in some way.

The other deadly disease caused by asbestos is asbestosis, a serious form of lung illness. The main symptoms of asbestosis are short breath after exercise or exertion, dry prolonged cough, general malaise or feeling tired and wheezing.

Treatment of Diseases caused by Asbestos

Being a form of cancer, all the traditional cancer treatments are applied to treat mesothelioma. Surgery for cutting out the affected part of the lungs, chemotherapy to attack the cancer cells; or radiation to kill the cancerous cells are the only treatments for mesothelioma cancer. However, newer and better modes of treatments are being worked out to help mesothelioma patients.

Diagnosis for asbestosis is necessary in its early stage as prolonged asbestosis can turn into mesothelioma cancer later in life. Regular intake of the prescribed medicine and check-up can help a lot. But the life span decreases on its own as the disease is diagnosed a long time after exposure to asbestos.

Legal Claims for Asbestosis and Mesothelioma

An asbestosis or mesothelioma legal claim can be filed on your behalf if your disease is caused by exposure to asbestos. An attorney will investigate how much asbestos containing material you were exposed to, who were the employers and what proper safety measures were taken for your health. This claim can be made against the construction company, the asbestos suppliers and even the individuals who were responsible to look after your health safety.

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