Mesothelioma Support

Are asbestos fibers visible to the eye ?

By: Jeff Lakie

If you are in the construction business or employed by an industry that uses products containing cancer asbestos, you may wonder “Are asbestos fibers visible to the eye”? Generally mesothelioma asbestos fibers are too small to be seen by the naked eye. Asbestos cancer becomes dangerous when it has broken down into small fibers and is inhaled. It is nearly impossible to detect the presence of asbestos cancer without taking the material to a lab for testing. A lab technician will put the material under a microscope to search for cancer asbestos fibers. Mesothelioma Asbestos does not cause an immediate reaction. It will not cause you to cough, sneeze, or your eyes to water. You cannot see, smell, or taste asbestos cancer. If you skin becomes contaminated with mesothelioma asbestos cancer it will not burn or itch.

Mesotheliomas Asbestos cancer related diseases have a very long latency period. This is the time frame from when you are first exposed to asbestos cancer until you become ill. Most persons do not become ill for at least ten years after exposure and some not until over forty years later. Asbestosis, lung cancer, and mesothelioma cancer are all asbestos related diseases. Asbestosis occurs when asbestos cancer fibers enter the lungs. The body will naturally produce an acid to combat the mesotheliomas cancer fibers. However, this acid can cause scarring in the tissue of the lungs and in advanced stages breathing becomes more difficult and painful. Asbestosis was first documented in shipyard workers. Asbestos cancer can also cause lung cancer. If a person smokes and is exposed to asbestos, they have a much greater chance of developing Asbestos lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that has only been linked to mesothelioma asbestos exposure. It is a asbestos cancer of the cells that line the peritoneum (area surrounding the abdominal organs) and the pleura (area outside of the lungs and inside of the ribs).

There is a lot of debate and controversy surrounding which types of asbestos cancer is harmful. Some types of mesothelioma asbestos cancer are thought to be more dangerous than others but all types of asbestos cancer exposure should be avoided. Actinolite, amosite, anthophyllite, crocidolite, chrysotile (white asbestos), and tremolite are all types of mesothelioma asbestos cancer. Chrysotile is the type of mesothelioma asbestos most commonly used in manufacturing products.

Mesothelioma Asbestos fibers are not visible to the eye. If you feel you may have been exposed to asbestos cancer, the most common method for testing is a chest x-ray. The x-ray will not show the mesothelioma asbestos fibers but it can spot early signs of lung disease. There is no known cure for mesothelioma asbestos cancer related diseases.


About The Author:

Jeff Lakie is the founder of Asbestos Resources a website providing information on mesothelioma asbestos cancer.


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