Essay on Asbestosis

asbestos ts is a natural mineral that was readily used in the construction and industry world due to it fire resistant and durability. Asbestos fibers are long , thin, and so small you can't see them but are breathed into the lungs. Asbestos is naturally found in the atmosphere and in the work place with items such as insulation, ceiling or floor tiles, repair or taking down old buildings that will release asbestos fibers into the atmosphere causing workers to breath the asbestos into the lungs causing possible damage to the linings of the lungs. Asbestos fibers remain in the lungs a lifetime. Cigarette smoking weakens the lungs and decreased the lungs ability to removed the asbestos fibers. Cigarette smoke irritates air passages cussing them to produce more mucus. These effects book te passage of air and further decrease the removal of asbestos fibers from the lungs and body which attack the body's mesothelial cells and could result in mesothelioma cancer. Abestosis is caused by high exposure and/or periods of exposure asbestos and effects the lungs by scarring of tissues which in turn makes it hard for a person to breath. Breathing Difficulities results in the inability of oxygen, carbon dioxide, other harmful chemicals to pass through or cleared by the lungs.

cigarette smoking does not cause asbestosis but it complicates the disease, often times making the persons health much worse.

Asbestosis is a veritable disease in its own right, but this illness can even develop into a more pressing and deadly condition, such as lung cancer or mesothelioma. Statistics reveal approximately one in seven people suffering with asbestosis eventually develop lung cancer. Since smoking makes asbestosis worse, it can also contribute to asbestosis developing into lung cancer. In fact, statistics concerning asbestos-induced lung cancer and smoking offer an illuminating glimpse into this deadly combination: when cigarette smokers are exposed to asbestos, their risk of developing lung cancer increases by 50 to 84 times. Clearly, the chance of contracting lung cancer multiplies with exposure to both asbestos and cigarette smoke. But there is hope if the smoker quits. According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos-exposed workers who quit smoking cigarettes can effectively reduce their risk of developing lung cancer up to 50 percent within five years of quitting.

Clearly, strong lines are easily drawn among smoking, asbestosis, and lung cancer. These lines are quite serious for two reasons: (1) more people die from lung cancer than any other type of cancer and (2) government-issued statistics has revealed a 400 percent increase in deaths from asbestosis during the past two decades. If you have ever been exposed to asbestos and smoke cigarettes, you are highly encouraged to see a physician as soon as possible to be tested for asbestosis and other diseases caused by

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