Asbestos has been used for more than 2,000 years. Its Greek name means “inextinguishable.” Although ancient Greeks knew that it caused harm to the body, the symptoms were largely ignored because the Greeks were so confounded by the seemingly magical properties of the material.

Asbestos was used for wicks of the eternal flames of the vestal virgins and as the dress for the cremation of kings. It was also used for napkins. Some said that the napkins were cleaned by putting them into a fire by the Romans. When the asbestos cloth came out, it would be a whiter shade which was considered unpolluted.

Asbestos became popular during the Industrial Revolution in late 1800s. It was used as an insulator for kilns, ovens, boilers, steam pipes, turbines and other products that used high temperatures.

At the start of the 20th century, researchers began to notice the huge numbers of deaths and lung problems that were occurring among those living in towns where asbestos mines were located. Many people who worked with asbestos were dying at a young age.

In 1924, the first case of asbestosis was diagnosed and documented. A woman died at age 33 after working with asbestos since the age of thirteen. Consequently, a study was performed on English asbestos workers. Asbestos-related lung diseases were apparent in 25% of the cases. In 1931, laws were passed providing more ventilation. It would take ten more years before these steps would be taken by the United States legislators.

Articles were published in medical journals in the 1930’s linking asbestos to cancer. After the emergence of silicosis, asbestos related-diseases were temporarily shelved. The companies that made silica had to provide their workers with compensation and asbestos companies began to cover up the actual health effects of asbestos exposure. Companies that made and manufactured asbestos kept using the material in manufacturing and construction. While there were many other products that were safe alternatives to asbestos, many companies continued to use and distribute asbestos containing products.

Among the most common forms of asbestos related-disease are asbestosis, pleural plaques, mesothelioma and lung cancer. Asbestosis is a chronic lung disease that forms when asbestos particles are inhaled over an extended time. It is not, a form of cancer. Mesothelioma is a form of cancer most often found in the lining of the lungs. It is only found in those who have been exposed to asbestos. About 75% of mesothelioma patients are diagnosed with pleural mesothelioma or mesothelioma within the chest cavity. The most common symptom is persistent pain in the chest and lungs. Mesothelioma causes the cells of the lung lining to become abnormal and reproduce causing tumors to grow and expand. The disease can then spread into other areas of the body, killing the nearby tissues.

Unfortunately, overall, the prognosis for patients with advanced malignant mesothelioma remains poor. The average length of survival after a mesothelioma diagnosis is around one to two years and only about seven percent of those diagnosed survive for five years or more. However, research scientists and doctors are pursuing several promising improvements in treatment.

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Category: Medicines and Remedies
Keywords: asbestosis, asbestos exposure, asbestos lawsuit, asbestos lawyer, mesothelioma