Mesothelioma is a terrible disease, and over 98% of all cases can be attributed to being exposed to asbestos. It's a disease that can remain dormant for as long as 20 to 50 years before it starts revealing its devastating toll on a person's health and life. Although the cancer may appear in less than 20 years in some cases, most people don't develop any symptoms until somewhere around 35 years after being exposed to asbestios. Early symptoms may also be hard to identify, because they may be as basic as general pain in the chest or back. Therefore, anyone who has ever worked in an environment where there were asbestos fibers needs to be on guard for the rest of their lives.
Mesothelioma causes cancer to develop in the lining that surrounds the lungs as well as inside the ribcage and around abdominal organs. The longer a person was exposed to asbestos, the better the chance that he or she will develop Mesothelioma later in life. However, there have also been cases diagnosed that were caused by limited asbestos exposure and even common household exposure. It may be that you had a temporary job in construction or demolition years ago. You could have been exposed at that time. A lot of people who were in the Navy prior to the 1970's have come down with Mesothelioma.
Prior to the 1970s asbestos was widely-used in many different applications. Once the reports of the health risks involved in its use started to become public knowledge, this use of asbestos was dramatically reduced. Before that time, however, almost every type of insulation contained asbestos, such as that used to insulate pipes, do fire-proofing, and in boilers. Many types of plasters, including household plasters, cements, and joint compounds that came in powdered form and were intended to insulate were also full of asbestos. Since the powders caused a lot of dust, employees who breathed the air while using them were particularly susceptible to asbestos exposure.
People who worked in the following occupations prior to the mid 1970s need to be alert for the symptoms of Mesothelioma: * Paper mills * Brake and clutch shoe manufacture * Boilermakers * Electrical and carpentry workers or bricklayers * Insulation - manufacturing or installation * Steel refineries and other steel industries * Shipyard workers * Maintenance workers
Even if you know you worked in one of these industries and could have been exposed to asbestos, there's no need to panic. Since this exposure will place you at a higher risk for Mesothelioma, however, you'll want to make sure your doctor knows all the specifics. He may even want to run some tests just to make sure that you aren't showing any signs of the disease. Most likely he will want to do a complete physical if you haven't had one lately and have some x-rays taken of your chest and abdominal area. He might want you to take pulmonary function tests, a CT scan, or an MRI. If you show no symptoms, then you're clear for now, but you'll have to keep watch for the development of the condition for the rest of your life.
If you should happen to be diagnosed with Mesothelioma sometime in the future, you'll want to hire a lawyer who specializes in this type of litigation to file a claim against your employer. You may be eligible for restitution if it can be proven that your employer was in any way negligent in providing you with information or safety equipment that could have prevented your illness.