Asbestos exposure

[cheetahj]

I was exposed to asbestos at work about five months does it give you pain in your chest and ribs and my left chest wall feels sore

[bl17tel]

About 2 months ago I pulled down 3 walls inside my home. Me not being a handy man was thinking it's only a wall let's break it down.   Only a couple of weeks ago a friend has advised me that the wall was Wunderlich durawall which contains asbestos.  We were inside with fans going and no dust masks.   I have seen my gp and he says everything should be fine.   I am now very worried as my kids were inside running around as well.   We removed most of the damaged pieces straight away.   Now I am paranoid and looking for any little symptoms on the kids.  Am I overreacting or do I have something to worry about.

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Asbestos does not cause costochondritis. The actual cause of  costochondritis is not the virus or the bacteria. Costochondritis can result from excessive coughing. Coughing may accompany a viral or bacterial infection.


~*~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

[cheetahj]

Yes i do have cpap machine i use it mostly everyday My dr said he think i might have costochondritis because i been having rib and back pains Could this be due from the asbestos exposure I did read it can be caused by a viral infection or bacteria and i didnt start have pains until i got exposed and i still have a non productive cough i cant cough up nothing at all

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Your stomach pains are not likely to be related to asbestos exposure.

Are you being treated for obstructive sleep apnea (with a CPAP machine)?

You might consider discussing your cough again with your primary care physician.

~*~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

[cheetahj]

Yes i do have sleep apnea and i been having stomach pains could this be due to the asbestos exposure .I did hear it can effect your stomach to.

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

In answer to your three posts above:

1. Mesothelioma is extremely rare and a one time exposure is very unlikely to result in a mesothelioma. But, you must remember that there is not a "safe" level of asbestos exposure.

2. Your symptoms of productive cough and laryngitis (hoarse voice) might be (and might not be) related to the dust exposure that occurred several months ago. If your cough is persistent, the coughing can continue to irritate your airway, throat, and your larynx (where the vocal cords are located). If your physician listens to your lungs, he or she may not hear any abnormal sounds in you lungs. It is possible that you have a bronchitis (inflammation of the trachea, which is above the lungs). If you have had a cough for 4 months, the cough should be called a "chronic cough" and should be investigated.

Do you have any other medical problems that might be contributing to your cough? For example, do you smoke? Do you have allergies?  Do you have sleep apnea?


~*~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

[cheetahj]

I been hacking up mucous for about the past 4 mnths and it hasnt got better and sometimes my voice gets hoarse and sometimes its like i hear a rattling in my chest. I went to my Dr and he didnt hear anything  So what could this be

[cheetahj]

Can a one time exposure to asbestos give you mesothelioma.

[cheetahj]

How much asbestos can you be exposed to without getting a asbestos related disease

[wendig]

I too was exposed to asbestos 2 months ago.  Since then, I've had inflamed and irritated nose, throat, and airway.  My lungs frequently burn, and sometimes my chest aches.  I also have had lots of post-nasal drip.  I've also developed asthma since my exposure (for the first time in my life.)

When you say that you tasted it, I'm curious -- did you have sort of a burning on your tongue??  

I wonder if your soreness in your chest could be from pleurisy...

Hope you feel better.

[cheetahj]

Well i was on a job site cleaning up asbestos and it was an old brake pad facility where they made them. I had on a full face respirator and we was cleaning some old baghouse where they stoted the excess residual from the brake pads when they cut them.So while i was cleaning it up a big cloud of dust came at me and i didnt know it had got in my mask and the only way i knew is that i tasted it in my mouth. So do u think i will get cancer down the line from this breif exposure

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Dear cheetahj:

Exposure to asbestos can cause acute symptoms that are related to irritation and inflammation of the upper airways (throat and wind-pipe [trachea]) and the lower airways.

The chronic effects that may result from asbestos usually occur many years after the exposure (20-30 years). There are three main chronic conditions:
1. Asbestos-related Pleural Disease: Benign. Represented by what are called plaques that originate in the pleura (a sort of lining to the outside of the lung).
2. Asbestosis: Can be debilitating. Fibrosis of the lung tissue leading to poor lung function and difficulty breathing.
3. Mesothelioma: This is a very rare type of cancer that can occur years after asbestos exposure.

Given your history (5 months after a POTENTIAL exposure) I would recommend that you see your personal physician to be evaluated.

Can you tell me more about the circumstances surrounding the time when you believe that you were exposed to asbestos?

What were you doing?
How long were you exposed?
Did you actually see asbestos?


~*~  Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.