How can asbestos affect your health

Minus Related Pages. The risk of disease depends on many factors: How much asbestos is in the air How often and for how long exposure occurs How much time has passed since exposure began Whether the person already has lung or breathing conditions and Whether the person smokes tobacco Asbestos-Related Diseases Breathing asbestos can cause tiny asbestos fibers to get stuck in the lungs and irritate lung tissues.

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You will be subject to the destination website's privacy policy when you follow the link. CDC is not responsible for Section compliance accessibility on other federal or private website. Cancel Continue. But if material containing asbestos is damaged, it can release a fine dust that contains asbestos fibres. When the dust is breathed in, the asbestos fibres enter the lungs and can gradually damage them over time. But you would need long-term exposure to asbestos fibres, usually over many years, before you develop asbestosis.

You may have been exposed to asbestos if you worked in an industry such as building or construction, particularly from the s to the s. Examples include:. Breathing in asbestos fibres over many years eventually causes scarring of the lungs. Symptoms include:. You should see a GP if you have symptoms of asbestosis and think you may have been exposed to asbestos. There's no cure for asbestosis once it has developed, as it's not possible to reverse the damage to the lungs.

Many people, including doctors and scientists, disagree. Until proven safe, treat all asbestos as dangerous. You cannot tell when asbestos is in the air or is hurting your lungs. Asbestos will not make you cough or sneeze. It will not make your skin or throat itch. Asbestos fibers get into the air when asbestos materials are damaged, disturbed or removed unsafely.

When asbestos is crushed, it does not make ordinary dust. Asbestos breaks into tiny fibers that are too small to see, feel or taste. Asbestos fibers can be measured when they are in the air. A cubic centimeter is about the size of a sugar cube. The air is checked for asbestos fibers by taking samples of the air using air sampling methods. The Minnesota Department of Health has established a "clean air" level of 0. When asbestos is released into the air, it enters the surrounding environment.

You can be exposed to asbestos if you enter these environments. If exposed to asbestos, many factors contribute to whether harmful health effects will occur. These factors include:.