It goes without saying that you should do whatever you can to prevent asbestos exposure. Unfortunately, most people who are exposed to asbestos don’t know it. And for that reason, long-term exposure is often a concern.
Asbestos has the potential to cause a variety of serious illnesses, with mesothelioma among the most well-known.
However, there are many other diseases potentially caused by asbestos exposure, such as:
- Throat cancer
- Lung cancer
- Pleural thickening
- Pleural plaque
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Interstitial fibrosis
While some of these diseases are more serious than others, you don’t want to find yourself dealing with any of them. They have the potential to cause serious pain and discomfort, impact your ability to work and eventually result in death.
Do you work in a high risk occupation?
If you have reason to believe you’re working around asbestos or could be in the future, you must take the proper precautions to protect yourself.
Furthermore, it’s good habit to discuss your risk with your employer. This is particularly true if you’re being exposed to asbestos and they don’t know about it.
If you begin to suffer symptoms related to one or more of the asbestos-related diseases detailed above, don’t hesitate to seek medical assistance. Your doctor will run a variety of tests to determine what’s going on and how to best treat it.
Once you understand your diagnosis and prognosis, consider where you could have been exposed to asbestos. This will help you take steps to protect your legal rights, with the idea of obtaining compensation from the negligent party (such as your employer).