Reducing exposure to asbestos is the best prevention against asbestosis. In the United States, federal law requires employers in industries that work with asbestos products — such as construction — to take special safety measures. Many homes, schools and other buildings built before the s have materials such as pipes and floor tiles that contain asbestos. Generally, there's no risk of exposure as long as the asbestos is enclosed and undisturbed.
It's when materials containing asbestos are damaged that there's a danger of asbestos fibers being released into the air and inhaled. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.
This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Bronchioles and alveoli in the lungs Open pop-up dialog box Close. Bronchioles and alveoli in the lungs In your lungs, the main airways bronchi branch off into smaller and smaller passageways — the smallest, called bronchioles, lead to tiny air sacs alveoli. Clubbing of fingers Open pop-up dialog box Close. Clubbing of fingers Clubbing of the fingers, in which the fingertips spread out and become rounder than normal, is often linked to heart or lung conditions.
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references AskMayoExpert. Asbestos-related pulmonary disease adult. Mayo Clinic; Merck Manual Professional Version. Accessed Oct. Asbestos-related lung diseases. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Asbestos and your health. 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:. Laboratory studies and studies of asbestos workers show us that asbestos can make you sick. If you breathe asbestos fibers, you may increase the risk of several serious diseases, including asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. There are two main ways for asbestos to enter our bodies: ingesting or inhaling the fibers. Ingesting or swallowing asbestos can happen in two different ways. Drinking water and food can be contaminated by asbestos through old asbestos cement pipes, food stored in old buildings which may shed asbestos fibers, or by the breakdown of asbestos fibers in building materials that enter the sewer systems after rainfall.
Discover three other possible causes of mesothelioma besides asbestos. Other industries where working with asbestos may still occur are shipbuilding, manufacturing insulating materials, and asbestos mining. Strict safety rules regarding the handling of asbestos now exist in the developed world, but these have only been in action for the past couple of decades.
Prior to this, workers would inhale the fibers in their place of work and often go home with asbestos fibers on their clothes which could then be inhaled by their families.
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