If you have worked around asbestos in your life and there is a chance that you have inhaled this fibre into your lungs, then you need to know how much it takes to cause harm to your body and whether or not you have taken in too much. There are many risks that come along with asbestos and this is why it has been removed from many materials that it was once used in.

It does not take much asbestos exposure to cause cancer or mesothelioma. You can also get what is known as asbestosis from inhaling even a small amount of asbestos. If there is asbestos in your home, then you should have it removed or you and your entire family could be at risk. Asbestos is very dangerous in any amount and you need to make sure you are safe from asbestos.

Those that have been exposed to asbestos are at risk for many things. Here are a few of the risks that come along with even the smallest amount of exposure.

1. Asbestosis

If you become diagnosed with asbestosis, then you should know this is irreversible and it can progress into a lung condition that can be fatal. This basically is scarring of your lung tissue and is most likely found in those that have been working around asbestos for many years. It is typically found in those that have worked in the construction field or in ship yards.

2. Lung Cancer

Probably the most well-known health issue that asbestos can cause is lung cancer. This is virtually incurable because it happens over many years of exposure to asbestos dust and the dust can cause the smaller cells to become infected. It causes quite a bit of damage before you would even know it was there.

3. Mesothelioma

This is a cancer that is found in the lungs or the abdominal cavity and was once very rare, but now is becoming more common. The only known cause of mesothelioma is asbestos exposure. It can take 20-50 years to show that it is affecting someone and once it is diagnosed usually patients survive for a maximum of 2 years. There is no cure that has been found for mesothelioma.

You should know that even the smallest amount of exposure to asbestos can cause you to have health issues. This is a very dangerous substance that you need to have removed from your home. If you have asbestos testing done and find that there are materials in your home that were made with asbestos, you should have any asbestos removed by a professional that is trained to make sure that nobody is exposed to it. If you are exposed to it you need to see a doctor right away so that you can find out what you might be able to do in order to keep the effects to a minimum.