What are the Health Risks if I Have Asbestos in My Home?

If you’re like most people, you’ve heard that Asbestos is dangerous and toxic. You may have even heard that it is deadly. This is all true! The scary fact is that if you have Asbestos in your Michigan home, you’re facing quite a few health risks. We don’t want to be vague though; we want to tell you exactly what dangers lurk in your attic, pipe wraps, or tile floor if you don’t have the Asbestos removed.

The health risks associated with Asbestos can be linked to the fact that breathing Asbestos can cause tiny fibers to get stuck in your lungs. This irritates lung tissues and causes a whole host of health problems:

#1 Lung cancer This is a malignant tumor that invades your lungs and eventually blocks air passages. Smoking tobacco combined with Asbestos exposure greatly increases the chance of developing lung cancer, which will be discussed more later.

#2 Mesothelioma This is a rare cancer of the membrane that covers the lungs and chest cavity (pleura), the membrane lining the abdominal cavity (peritoneum), or membranes surrounding other internal organs. 

#3 Pleural disease It’s possible to have damaged pleura without cancer forming. This is a condition that causes changes in the pleura. The membrane may become thicker throughout, or in isolated areas. In some cases, fluid builds up around the lungs. This is known as a pleural effusion. 

#4 Asbestosis This is a condition characterized by scarring in the lungs caused by breathing Asbestos fibers. Oxygen and carbon dioxide do not pass in and out of scarred lungs as easily, making breathing much harder. Asbestosis usually occurs in people who have had very high exposures over a long time, living working with Asbestos or living in a home with it for many years.

According to the CDC, Asbestos is a dangerous substance and should be avoided. Not all people who have contact with Asbestos develop health problems. The risk of disease depends on many factors:

How much Asbestos is in the air

How often and for how long exposure occurs

How much time has passed since exposure began

Whether the person already has lung or breathing conditions 

Whether the person smokes tobacco

Exposure to Asbestos can cause several health conditions, more specifically the lung diseases mentioned above. You don’t want to take a chance with your health, especially if you fit into one of the categories mentioned above for being a particularly-high chance for serious complications. If you fear that you have been exposed to Asbestos at your home, contact Clean Cut Abatement to have your Asbestos removed and then talk to your healthcare provider about the steps you can take to protect yourself and slow the progress of any Asbestos-related health conditions.