Despite a efforts of countless illness agencies via a universe in
perplexing to teach a open upon a clarification as well as goods of
mesothelioma.
Essential Facts of Mesothelioma and Asbestos Exposure
By Gary Ng
Despite the efforts of numerous health agencies throughout the world
in trying to educate the public on the definition and effects of
mesothelioma, it is unfortunate that there still exist a large
majority of the local population in trying to comprehend such efforts.
With this article, I hope that certain facts can be spelled out much
more clearly in as simple terminology as possible.
To start off, mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer in which malignant
or cancerous cells are found in the mesothelium, a protective sac that
covers most of our body's internal organs. At present, statistics have
proven that a majority of people who suffer from mesothelioma, have
had first contact with materials known as asbestos, in the course of
their work or exposure.
Mesothelioma (or cancer of the mesothelium) is a disease in which
cells of the mesothelium become abnormal and divide without control or
order. The known effect is that invasion and damage to nearby tissues
and organs can occur. The cancer cells can also spread from their
original location to other parts of the body. And very often,
mesothelioma begins in the pleura or peritoneum. The pleura is the
membrane that typically surrounds the lungs and lines the wall of the
chest cavity, while the peritoneum is the tissue that covers most of
the organs in the abdominal cavity. In addition, the pericardium
covers and protects the heart, while the tissue surrounding the male
internal reproductive organs is called the tunica vaginalis testis.
For the female, this will be known as the tunica serosa uteri.
While it has been reported specifically in the United States alone
that the occurrence of mesothelioma has been at a rate of 2000 cases
per year in the last 20 years, there maybe more unreported cases that
have gone undetected and therefore, not captured within official
records. Typically, mesothelioma affects mainly the male gender, but
although (as mentioned above) this form of cancer has affected mainly
those in direct contact with asbestos material in the course of their
work, there have also been occurrences to those who have had no direct
exposure to asbestos.
Before we go on further, we need to be clear on where asbestos comes
from. Essentially, asbestos refers to a group of minerals that occur
naturally as masses of strong, flexible fibers that can be separated
into thin threads and woven. Asbestos is often found in construction
related materials such as cement, roofing materials, flooring
products, etc. How asbestos gets into the human system, is when during
the manufacturing process, where there is no strict control on the
handling process, the particles generated from asbestos will float in
the air and maybe inhaled by individuals, thus causing serious health
problems. This therefore gives rise to other forms of cancer and one
of them, mesothelioma.
Historically, mesothelioma was discovered particularly after the World
War Two, as part of the industrialization process and increased war
efforts. Millions of Americans were believed to have been exposed to
asbestos dust particles in their course of work. And when these folks
return home to their loved ones, it is believed that the dust
particles which had remained on their work attires were subsequently
inhaled by their family members, thus creating a form of "cross
contamination" effect. While the occupational safety and health act
today has restricted the amount of asbestos workers can be exposed to,
the risk has obviously not been fully mitigated and the occurrence of
mesothelioma is still possible.
To minimize exposure as well as cross contamination, workers in such
industries should change out before leaving their workstations and
showering. This concept is similar to exposure during a chemical
fallout where the process of decontamination is deployed.
Gary is currently in the homeland security industry and has come
across occupational hazards within specific industries. For more
information, visit:
http://www.bizenginesite.com/lawyers/mesothelioma-lawyers/mesothelioma-lawyers.php
