 | Robb Rose is Director of Marketing Operations at Wesley Rehabilitation Hospital of Wichita. Robb is also a Respiratory Therapist, Boarded Disability Analyst and Adjunct Faculty for Wichita Sate University. He holds a Masters in Human Resources from Webster University. Robb serves on the American Lung Association Regional Council and the American Heart Association Board of Directors. Robb is married and has 2 children. He can be reached at (316) 729-9999 |
Health & Rehabilitation
2005-07-01 11:46:00
Asbestos still a risk?
: With various construction always going on, whether tearing down a building or building a new one, is asbestos still a risk?
ANSWER: Asbestos is still a high risk. Although it is not used in new construction, it can be found in older residential and commercial buildings. Asbestos is a group of minerals with separable, long, thin fibers that can remain airborne and thus inhaled into the lungs. Once inhaled it can take as long as 40 years to become a health illness and be diagnosed. It will manifest in generally 3 ways; Lung Cancer, Mesothelioma, and Asbestosis. Asbestos Lung Cancer is indistinguishable from Lung Cancer associated with smoking, but smokers who are exposed to asbestos are 52 times more likely to end up with Lung Cancer than non-smokers exposed. Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that involves the thin membrane that surrounds the lungs, stomach, and heart, and is a very aggressive Cancer. Asbestosis occurs when the natural defenses of the lungs causes scar tissue to develop, which makes the lungs less elastic and able to move air in and out.The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) expect the death rates from Asbestos to rise over the next couple of decades. In 1968 there was a reported 77 deaths related to the inhalation of asbestos. In the year 2000 over 1,493 deaths occurred due to the same. The British Medical Journal (Feb. 05) states an expectation of over 2,500 deaths due to inhaled asbestos between 2001 and 2015 in England alone.
