Causes of Mesothelioma

The ingestion and inhalation of airborne asbestos fibers are the main causes of mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a rare, but deadly, cancer that attacks the pleural lining of the chest cavity and the lungs or the peritoneal lining of the organs of the stomach. In more rare cases, the causes of mesothelioma can attack the pericardium of the heart or the lining of the reproductive organs.

Asbestos has been used commercially since the 1800s and has been known to cause mesothelioma and other types of serious health problems.

Asbestos in the workplace

Asbestos is not harmful in its natural state. If broken down or disturbed, however, the strands of asbestos fibers separate and can be easily inhaled. Once ingested, the tiny asbestos fibers can become embedded in the lining of the lungs, stomach or heart. Over a period of time the asbestos fibers accumulate, cause irritation and eventually lead to the development of mesothelioma.

Although it has been proven that even the slightest amount of asbestos exposure can be harmful, most cases of mesothelioma have been seen in individuals who work closely with asbestos fibers on a daily basis.  Individuals who work in the following industries are at the highest risk of developing mesothelioma: 

Secondary Asbestos Exposure Can Cause Mesothelioma

Secondary exposure can contribute to the causes of mesothelioma when workers inadvertently carry asbestos fibers home on their person and family members are exposed.

Asbestos Regulations in the Workplace

Because inhalation and ingestion of asbestos are the primary causes of mesothelioma, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has set permissible exposure limits on the amount of asbestos that an employee can be exposed to in the workplace. Employee exposure to asbestos cannot exceed 0.1 fiber per cubic meter of space averaged over an eight hour work day or 1 fiber per cubic meter in any thirty minute period.

Some work environments are required to conduct daily monitoring of asbestos levels to prevent the causes of mesothelioma. All employers of individuals who handle asbestos are required to provide their employees with the following:

• Protective gear
• Adequate ventilation
• Respiratory equipment
• Showering facilities
• Proper asbestos training

Even with these precautions, as many as 1.3 million construction workers, alone, are exposed to the causes of mesothelioma every year. Mesothelioma kills ten thousand people every year. At least two to three thousand people are diagnosed with mesothelioma annually.

Mesothelioma can remain dormant in the body for up to fifty years. Once diagnosed, the prognosis for mesothelioma victims is bleak. The average survival time following diagnosis is ten months to a little over a year.

Mesothelioma Symptoms

Because symptoms of mesothelioma are often mistaken for those of a common cold, flu or pneumonia, the rare form of cancer is often misdiagnosed. Common mesothelioma symptoms include:

• Chest pain
• Chronic Cough
• Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath
• Weight loss
• Sharp stomach pains
• Vomiting and nausea
• Fluid build up in the lungs or abdomen

Getting Legal Help

If the causes of mesothelioma are the result of another party's negligence, a victim has the legal right to seek compensation for their injuries through a lawsuit.

For more information about the causes of mesothelioma, please Contact a Mesothelioma Attorney to learn your legal rights!

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