Although Hurricane Ike hit nearly a month ago, residents of Galveston and the surrounding Texas counties are still suffering from lingering affects of the destruction including potential exposure to asbestos fibers.

According to the International Herald Tribune, following the hurricane, homes and roads were left with debris as well as a toxic sludge made of mud, human waste, lead, gasoline and asbestos in the wake of floodwaters, which have since receded. The potential for these fibers to dry and become airborne may be serious and could cause an increased risk of mesothelioma cancer among hurricane victims as well as nearby residents because of asbestos exposure.

What is Asbestos Exposure?

When asbestos fibers are disturbed they can become airborne causing individuals within the vicinity to inhale the fibers, which can cause the formation of cancerous cells within the lining of the lungs. For years an exposed individual can live and behave as normal while the cancer remains dormant. However, once the symptoms begin to show, a victim usually has little success at treating the condition and the survival rate shrinks increasingly.

According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), when these mesothelioma symptoms begin to develop, they can include:

• shortness of breath
• pain in the chest because of an accumulation of fluid
• weight loss
• abdominal pain
• bowel obstruction
• blood clotting abnormalities
• anemia
• fever

Diagnosing Mesothelioma Cancer

Unfortunately, mesothelioma cancer is considered such a rare condition, that it is often misdiagnosed for other similar diseases. The best way to diagnose mesothelioma cancer is to immediately speak with a medical professional upon any indication that exposure to asbestos has occurred. The individuals affected by debris from Hurricane Ike as well as those affected by any additional natural disasters, which may have left toxic materials behind, should contact their physician to set up a mesothelioma screening. According to the England center for cancer research, Cancer Research UK, a number or all of the following procedures will likely be administered to narrow down the likelihood of a mesothelioma diagnosis:

• general physician examination
• blood tests
• chest X-ray or abdominal X-ray
• CT scan of chest/abdomen to determine swelling in body organs/lymph nodes
• biopsy of the pleura is done, also known as a thoracoscopy, in which a small incision is made the chest wall in which a video camera is inserted
• fluid drainage, also known as the thoracocentesis or abdoparacentesis), will help to relieve fluid from around the lugs or abdominal cavity for those with peritoneal mesothelioma

Uses for Asbestos

Asbestos has been classified as a human carcinogen because of the scarring of tissue and inflammation it can cause among its victims. Asbestos is a prevalent threat in America because of its extensive use and availability during the 20th century.

For example, the NCI reports that from the late 1800s and through World War II, asbestos was mined and sold for commercial use in an array of industries and products including:

• building and construction
• strengthening cement and plastics
• insulation
• roofing
• fireproofing
• sound absorption
• shipbuilding
• insulate boilers
• steam pipes
• hot water pipes
• vehicle brakeshoes
• vehicle clutch pads
• ceiling
• flooring
• paints/coatings
• tile
• adhesives
• plastics
• gardening materials
• talc-containing crayons

By the end of the 1970s after millions, potentially billions, of tons of asbestos had been used in products as well as homes, apartments, hospitals and elementary schools throughout America, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) finally banned the use of new asbestos in products and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) took responsibility for ensuring proper cleanup is used to remove asbestos, which still remains a threat to many Americans today.

Professional Mesothelioma Assistance

As millions of individuals remain potentially at risk for asbestos exposure across America it becomes important to be self-educated on the condition, its symptoms as well as diagnosing steps. Additionally, it is advisable for an infected individual to also seek legal counsel for a potential mesothelioma lawsuit, which may be able to retrieve compensatory damages in the form of money in order to provide relief to a mesothelioma victim who may be more concerned with paying expensive medical bills associated with treating their disease than fighting the cancer. Most legal consultations are free, which allows an individual to better understand the development of a mesothelioma case.