Do you work or stay at the place where you're often exposed to asbestos? If that's the case, you might just be at a severe risk. Although asbestos alone is not harmful, a product of asbestos when disturbed releases small asbestos fiber. These fibers when inhaled cause a variety of life-threatening conditions including some cancers. All the major agencies for cancer research in the world verify asbestos as a known human carcinogen. So if you are prone to inhaling of asbestos fibers, you should know what hazards you're up to.

Here are the five diseases caused by asbestos exposure you must know.

1. Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is an unusual fatal condition caused by the exposure to asbestos. This brutal disease can cause cancer in the lining of pleura ( chest cavity), abdomen or even heart. Asbestos, when inhaled, resides for a while in mesothelial tissues and results in cellular damage. That's where the growth of a cancer tumor starts. The symptoms include fever, chest pain, dyspnea, wheezing, and muscle weakness. The disease is diagnosed by blood tests, imaging tests, and biopsies. Currently, Mesothelioma has no cure and treatment is limited to symptom management to better the quality of patient's life.

2. Asbestosis

Asbestosis is another deadly outcome of the asbestos exposure. This condition limits the mechanics of the lungs. Asbestos fibers inhaled develop asbestos which gets stored up in the lung tissues and produces scars. This scar tissue hardens with time and takes away the elasticity of lungs hence manipulating the lung functions. Also, the condition hinders the oxygen supply for lungs. This damage to the lungs is irreversible, and treatments like oxygen therapy intend only to manage the symptoms and give a better quality of life to patients. Smoking multiplies the rate of growth of the disease.

3. Lung Cancer

The very next featuring in the list of conditions caused by the asbestos exposure is the Lung Cancer. If diagnosed early and the cancer cells are small, your doctor would want you to get surgery. If surgery isn't found appropriate, radiotherapy would be the other recommendation. Lung Cancer doesn't show any symptoms for early stages, but later on, breathlessness, consistent coughing (sometimes with blood) and respiratory pains can be seen. Treatment would depend upon the level of condition and the cancer type.

4. Pleural Disease 

The pleural disease attacks the membrane around the lungs and the pleura (chest cavity). There are three different shades of the disease. A person may face diffuse pleural thickening where the whole of the membrane thickens up. Next, some particular membrane areas can get thick in pleural plaques. Lastly, pleural effusion builds up fluid around the lungs. A victim may face inadequate breathing or shortness in breathing while exercising or even at rest.

5. Other Cancers

Asbestos exposure can also lead to some other types of cancer including Larynx Cancer, Esophageal Cancer, and Colon Cancer. Larynx Cancer affects the voice box. Esophageal Cancer is a type of cancer that produces a tumor in the passage that goes from the throat to stomach. Colon Cancer starts with small non-cancerous polyps that later turn into a cancerous tumor. Treatments for Larynx Cancer include chemotherapy, drug therapy, and surgery while for Esophageal Cancer may be cured by chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Conclusion

Asbestos is all around. It's in the air you breath, the water you drink and even the soil we do everything on. However, these small amounts of exposure aren't dangerous. But if you often remain exposed to a high quantity of asbestos, you need to be aware of these diseases you may get. Stay cautious, stay healthy.