Causes of Mesothelioma

What causes Mesothelioma and what is it? The way this disease can be avoided is learning about the disease and its causes. For several years people were unaware of what caused mesothelioma but now it is known that every 9 out of 10 cases of mesothelioma are causes due to exposure to asbestos.

A natural mineral, asbestos is mined from the rocks in several different countries. Construction workers using this mineral in the houses and buildings built and the miners working in the mines extracting it are most likely to be exposed to asbestos.

Asbestos was used in houses, construction and shipbuilding very commonly before the 1980’s. It was then discovered the damage that this mineral can cause releasing tiny fibers which can get lodged into a persons lungs which can lead to cancer.

The links between asbestos and mesothelioma was first established in the 1960’s and in addition to causing possible cancer and lung problems it can also cause problems in the abdomen and the digestive system.

Examples of jobs where workers are exposed to asbestos include plumbers, electricians, boilermakers, demolition workers, ship builders, and construction workers. Furthermore, people who live with these people or near the areas where these people work may also be at a risk.

People who were exposed to asbestos can also cause exposure to their families since the fiber gathers on their clothes and bodies and can thus be inhaled by family members. Cases where a person has contracted this disease but has never been exposed to asbestos are very rare. Even though the exact causes in these cases were unknown links were made to radiation exposure in some of the cases.

The reason why it was so difficult and took so long to discover the reason behind the contraction of this disease is the fact that it takes 20-50 years for symptoms to show and people rarely link the symptoms to something that they did so long ago. Mesothelioma takes time to develop but higher the exposure to asbestos, the more severe the symptoms.

This disease cannot spread through coughing, eating or drinking after or with another person and is not contagious. You can’t contract this cancer if someone you know has it neither is there any research to link smoking to the increased risk of mesothelioma development but once one contracts this disease they will probably be instructed to quit smoking or face worsening their conditions.

The diagnoses and the treatment for mesothelioma will always be the same, regardless of the causes. Nonetheless, it is advisable for people to try and determine what caused the disease because in some cases of negligence on the part of a third party a law suit may be filed.