Asbestos was a popular construction material until the l980s because of its desirable qualities. Asbestos is durable, fire-resistant, flexible, and insulates thermally well. It has been widely used to provide insulation and fireproofing for homes, acoustic insulation, roofing, and flooring for commercial buildings. However, asbestos has a controversial and hazardous reputation of causing sever lung problems and other diseases. Asbestos that is friable (that which crumbles when dried) is especially hazardous, and is more popularly used in earlier establishments.

Since 2003, asbestos has been totally banned as a building material, and asbestos abatement from establishments have been common since. However, removing asbestos is not an easy task, as asbestos poses a huge threat to any human. It is best to have friable asbestos removed by only OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) qualified asbestos abatement company that is certified to work with protective clothing and only approved equipment when removing friable asbestos. Asbestos abatement should be done with extreme caution preventing any asbestos fiber to lodge in the smallest spaces.

Mesothelioma can be difficult to diagnose and the medical team uses a comprehensive combination of biopsies, lab test, x-rays, detailed history and physical exams and various imaging scan to confirm the diagnosis. The disease is typically advanced at diagnosis making treatment difficult and there is no known cure for any type of mesothelioma cancer. Treatments options often require surgery in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Prognosis depends on the location of the cancer, the health status of the individual and their response to the various therapies offered.

There are three different types of Mesothelioma types which include pleural mesothelioma, peritoneal Mesothelioma, and pericardial Mesothelioma. Of all of the mesotheliomas peritoneal is the worst and with the most aggressive treatment options know today the survival is about 10 months since it involves the abdomen and quickly spreads to other organs including the liver, spleen or bowel.

There are about 2500 new cases diagnosed each year in the United States.  This is a decrease from 1970’s to 1984 which has been attributed to the latency period between diagnosis and the height of industrial exposure. It is typically seen in men between 50 and 70 years of age. Any women or children diagnosed with mesothelioma is usually from secondary exposure with is rare. Visit mesothelioma.com for a complete list of articles and videos relating to your indoor air quality.

But remember that asbestos is virtually non-toxic when left unharmed. Non-friable asbestos does not posit a threat to anyone’s health unless signs of flaking, crumbling, or dusting is present.

Malignant Mesothelioma cancer is the most serious of all asbestos related diseases. There is a direct link between mesothelioma cancer and exposure to asbestos   Oftentimes the presenting symptoms are very much like other common ailments. It is not until your symptoms get worse and your health care provider refers you to a pulmonary or infectious disease specialist. There is no known cure for this but with chemotherapy and surgery has been shown to help the typical disease prognosis.