Owning your own home is a dream for most of America, but what if it comes at a great risk to you and your family? Aside from the financial risks involved with owning your own home, there can also be physical risks that affect you and your family’s health. When searching for the perfect home, you often see the potential instead of the reality of a home. Is the home really worth it if it could harm the people you love?
A home filled with asbestos is one thing that could severely impact you and your family. For some, they are unaware that a home is filled with asbestos, while others are aware, but either choose to ignore it or do not know of the dangerous health problems that it can cause. Most of the health problems that asbestos will create include problems with your lungs. This is because when asbestos spores are disrupted, they fill the air. When you inhale, the spores get trapped in your lungs and stay lodged there for years. As they remain in your lungs, they cause an inflammation, which leads to scarring and causes breathing to be extremely difficult. Some of the diseases that asbestos exposure causes include mesothelioma, lung cancer, pleural plaques and other cancer problems.
Mesothelioma is a rare cancer that affects the chest cavity, lining of the lungs or abdomen. Pleural plaques affect the membranes that surround the lungs, whether it causes thickening or abnormal collections of fluids between the lungs and the inner wall of the chest. Those who are exposed to asbestos may experience coughing, chest pain, blood in their phlegm, swelling in face or neck, difficulty swallowing, weight loss and loss of appetite.
Everyone is affected by asbestos differently; how you react to it depends on how much you were exposed to, how long you were exposed, the specifics of the asbestos in terms of shape, chemical makeup and size, if they smoke or not and if they have any other diseases in their lungs before they have been exposed to asbestos. All of these factors will also dictate how they react to treatments.
Most treatments that will be prescribed for asbestos-related diseases include oxygen therapy, medications and respiratory physiotherapy. When discussing treatments be sure to ask your doctor any questions you might have. Make sure you have a good physician who will ensure you are understanding alternative mesothelioma treatment options.
Although most asbestos exposure occurred in the 1970s and cases have begun to shrink in recent years, many workers are still in danger of being exposed. Those who work in milling and mining trades, manufacture asbestos textiles and other products, insulation workers and shipbuilders are all at risk. This is why coastal and marine recycled plastic textiles are widely implemented.
You may have already begun the journey to owning your own home or you may just be starting, but as you look at each home, make sure that you know what may be lurking in the house. Living in a home for even a short amount of time with asbestos exposure could do significant damage to you or your family members. The physical and emotional toll it could take on your family, not to mention the financial burden, is more than anyone could imagine. Prevent this from ever happening: be sure to get a proper inspection of each home, use all available safety precautions to prevent asbestos exposure and explore the home’s history before purchasing it.
This article was contributed on behalf of Shrader & Associates, your number one choice when choosing the best asbestos attorney. Check out their website today and see how they can help you!
