What types of injuries or illnesses are caused by asbestos?

When a person breathes in airborne asbestos fibers they can become lodged in the lungs. Because asbestos fibers are essentially indestructible, the body’s immune system is powerless to break them down.  Once the fibers enter the lungs, they become trapped in the lungs and will remain there for a long period of time.  Over the years, the fibers can cause scarring which can affect breathing, and subsequently, lead to serious health problems.  Asbestos fibers lodged in lung tissue over time may cause serious lung diseases including asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma.

What is mesothelioma?

Mesothelioma is a disease in which cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and rapidly divide without control or order. They can invade and damage nearby tissues and organs. Cancer cells can also spread (metastasize) from their original site to other parts of the body. Most cases of mesothelioma begin in the pleura or peritoneum.

Learn more about Mesothelioma:
Symptoms  |  Diagnosis  |  Treatment Options

What is asbestosis

Asbestos can scar the lung and the lining of the lung. This scarring is known as asbestosis or interstitial fibrosis. If enough scarring occurs, it can impair the elasticity of the lungs and hamper their ability to exchange gases. As a result, there is inadequate oxygen intake to the blood. This impairment leads to shortness of breath. Over time, the breathing capacity can diminish and in some cases, become fatal.

Asbestosis, like other asbestos diseases, is a disease of latency -- it takes 10 to 40 years after exposure to asbestos for a person to become sick.

There is no known cure for asbestosis.