If you have never personally encountered asbestos, it might seem like a bit of a myth or thing that you don’t have to concern yourself with.
However, if you end up in an old house or an old building for a long period, you may want to consider brushing up on your knowledge of things that can potentially kill you.
Asbestos is no joke. If you think that you might have encountered it or that you might be living with it in your house, you need to immediately contact a professional to remove it from your house, and then also check with a doctor to see if you’re showing any exposure symptoms.
If you don’t, you might end up with cancer.
Health Issues of Asbestos
Unfortunately, this isn’t one of those moments where you’ve been clicking around on MayoClinic and think you’ve diagnosed that weird skin rash on your arm. Asbestos is an extremely deadly material that was used as insulation in older houses.
Not only is it a toxin, but it is – more specifically – a carcinogen, meaning that it can cause cancer if you remain exposed to it.
There are four main types of cancer that asbestos can cause: mesothelioma and lung, ovarian, and laryngeal cancer.
Mesothelioma
This cancer type is the one most easily linked to asbestos exposure. Upwards of 80% of people who end up with mesothelioma eventually discover that they had extensive exposure to asbestos at some point in their lives.
This particular cancer shows up as tumors on the tissue lining that surround vital organs such as the heart, stomach, and lungs (although it can form around other organs as well). Mesothelioma is considered a fatal disease.
Lung Cancer
Lung cancer is an extremely common form of cancer, and it is the leading cause of cancer-related death in both men and women. Lung cancer occurs when cancerous cells grow in the lung and then grow out of control.
Asbestos-related lung cancer tends to kill more than double the amount of people as mesothelioma in a given year.
Lung cancer is classified as a terminal illness.
Ovarian Cancer
Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that originates in the ovaries or fallopian tubes of a biologically-female individual. Although the prognosis for this cancer can be positive, it is currently a leading cause of female deaths in the world.
Within the last five years, asbestos has been cited as a cause of ovarian cancer.
Laryngeal Cancer
Laryngeal cancer, or cancer in the larynx, is a type of cancer that affects the voice box. Although you can get this cancer through smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, asbestos fibers can also get stuck in your voice box, windpipe, and/or trachea… and from there it can start to grow.
Although this one is not always terminal, laryngeal cancer will have long-lasting negative effects on a person’s quality of living.
Takeaway
No matter what type of cancer type we’re discussing, it’s all bad and you shouldn’t take the risk of contracting one of these types just to avoid having to pay the removal fees for your asbestos issues.
Once again, this is your health and your continued longevity. Do yourself a favor and get rid of that asbestos if you think it might be nearby!
Looking for a Professional to Remove Your Asbestos?
If you are already looking for a professional to come and remove your asbestos, do yourself a favor and call us at RidAway so that we can remove the asbestos from your house.
Rather than live in such a detrimental health area, you’re going to want to make sure that you get the asbestos removed as quickly and safely as possible.
That’s why professionals, like us at RidAway, will come in and do a job that’ll ensure you are living in the healthiest space you can be, going forward.
If you have any questions about asbestos, asbestos risks, asbestos removal, etc., don’t hesitate to contact us!