
Mesothelioma can take a long time to develop after exposure to asbestos. Click here to learn more about the development of mesothelioma after asbestos exposure.
How Long Does It Take for Me to Get Sick from Mesothelioma After Exposure to Asbestos?
Figuring out how long it takes to get sick from mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos can be difficult. There is no established timeline for the development of mesothelioma. It is known that it can take years, if not decades to develop after exposure. As such, the Mayo Clinic reports that symptoms of mesothelioma may not show up until 20 to 60 years after asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Exposure Resulting in Mesothelioma
According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), asbestos is a naturally occurring material found in soil and rocks. For decades, it was used in construction projects because of its unique crystalline structure. It made a perfect insulator for pipes and walls since it is good at limiting temperature changes through materials.
As Mayo Clinic explains, once the asbestos particles are broken up and become dust, anyone exposed can swallow or inhale the particles, which end up settling in the body. This can affect your health by triggering the development of mesothelioma many years after exposure.
Types of Mesothelioma
There are multiple types of mesothelioma that you can develop. According to Mayo Clinic, pleural mesothelioma develops in the pleura, which is the lining around your lungs. It can be easily spotted on scans because of its location. It affects the way the lungs function, which can make it difficult to breathe and impact overall body performance. Victims may not find out that they have pleural mesothelioma until they go to the doctor with a cough or breathing difficulties and get a scan to see what is wrong.
Peritoneal mesothelioma develops in the peritoneum, which is the lining around your abdomen. It can cause fluid buildup around your lungs and abdomen, affecting how other organs work. There are other types of mesothelioma that are very rare, such as testicular mesothelioma.
Treatment Options
Once your mesothelioma has been determined to be malignant, it may be spreading throughout your body. This makes surgery impractical since it would take a lot of small incisions to try to remove all of the cancer cells and tumors. Instead, your healthcare provider may rely on several other types of treatments that focus on a wider area. These treatment options are chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
If your mesothelioma is benign, the cells will be tightly grouped into a tumor. This makes surgery a viable option to remove the tumors and possibly all of the mesothelioma cells. Early detection plays a significant role in how successful this treatment option is. You want to catch as many cells as possible in a single attempt before they metastasize and start spreading.
Mesothelioma treatment can be very expensive, and your insurance may not be able to cover all your medical bills. In turn, it may be beneficial for you to consider filing a lawsuit to pursue awards that could cover your medical expenses.
Settlement vs. Trial
Once you file your lawsuit, the next step is to wait until your case can go to trial. This may take a long time since there can be a long wait for trial dates. Court systems everywhere are routinely backlogged with other cases that need to be addressed. While you are waiting, you may receive a settlement agreement from the other party.
Settlement agreements are routinely offered when your case has a good chance of winning in a trial and the other party does not want to wait. It creates a compromise between both parties to resolve the issue. For the party being sued, it gives them a chance to negotiate the amount of compensation that they will have to pay. It also closes the case out of court which keeps it from becoming a matter of public record.
For you, it means that you get a chance to negotiate the amount of compensation that you will receive. You can also negotiate other terms as you see fit. The biggest advantage for you is that you can end the lawsuit sooner and collect compensation. If you have to wait a long time to collect compensation, your finances may continue to worsen because of your lack of expenses to pay for treatment. The sooner you can collect compensation, the sooner you can deal with those financial issues.
You are not obligated to accept a settlement agreement and can wait to take your case to trial. Have your lawyer review the agreement thoroughly to make sure that it meets your needs. If it does not, your lawyer can renegotiate until you get a deal that you are satisfied with.
Seeking Compensation
You may be able to take legal action to recover financial restitution for your expenses. The company that used asbestos, which ultimately led to your exposure, can be held liable under certain circumstances. For example, workers can be exposed during construction projects where the company used asbestos. Although they were not aware of the potential hazards of using asbestos, these companies can still be held liable.
When you take legal action, you file a civil lawsuit against the entity that is liable for your expenses. Each expense can be filed as a claim in your lawsuit. For example, each of your medical expenses will have a claim for compensation. With the right documentation, it is easy to prove that your medical expenses are directly related to your mesothelioma diagnosis and treatment.
Contact Us Today
Although it is difficult to determine how long it takes to get sick from mesothelioma after exposure to asbestos, it is possible to link your mesothelioma to the time and place of your exposure. If this is the case, consider taking legal action to recover compensation for your expenses. Call the offices of Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 307-3113 for a free consultation about your case.
How to Prevent Getting Mesothelioma
According to the American Cancer Society, the primary risk for developing mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. In order to attempt to reduce your risk and prevent getting mesothelioma, you must attempt to avoid any exposure or contamination from asbestos, asbestos-containing products, or asbestos-containing materials.
Asbestos and Mesothelioma
A study published in the journal, Annals of Translational Medicine, indicates that mesothelioma often results in cancerous cells developing in the lining of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testes of a victim that suffered from exposure to asbestos.
Asbestos is a soft mineral that has microscopic shards that settle into the lining of different areas of the body when inhaled or absorbed. These asbestos fibers remain dormant for decades. However, at some point, they can begin to develop into cancerous cells and spread rapidly throughout the body.
Prevention of Mesothelioma
There are some ways you can prevent getting mesothelioma, which would be by reducing your exposure to asbestos. Some of the ways include the following.
Avoid employment in certain industries that are at a higher risk of asbestos exposure, including:
- Asbestos mining
- Talc mining
- Factory work that involves asbestos
- Insulation installation and manufacturing
- Automotive work
- Railroad work
- Shipbuilding work
- Gas mask manufacturing
- Plumbing
- Home renovation
- Construction working
While some of these industries have safety protocols now established to prevent the exposure of workers to asbestos, make certain that you always use protective equipment and follow all safety guidelines for work around or associated with asbestos exposure.
Make sure that before you do any home renovations, you have your home inspected for asbestos. If you determine that your home does have asbestos in its ceiling or building materials, then if it remains stable and undisturbed, the risks remain quite low. If you do make the decision to renovate or do home improvements, make sure that you hire experts that can remove the parts of your home that have asbestos in them safely.
In some places, such as public buildings, schools, and commercial spaces, asbestos may have been a material used in the construction of the building, similar to that of a private home or residence. The same precautions stand for these types of buildings as private residences. As long as the materials containing asbestos are not disturbed in any way, then they should remain safe for those persons inside of those buildings.
Many cosmetics and personal hygiene products contain talc, which has now been conclusively proven to contain asbestos in certain cases. As a result, in order to prevent getting mesothelioma, refrain from using any talc-containing products in order to avoid developing peritoneal (abdominal), testicular, or pleural (lung) mesothelioma.
If you have already been exposed to asbestos or talc, either through work or the products you use, you might benefit from regular visits with your doctors to assess your wellbeing. Also, take any changes to your overall health seriously, as it could indicate developing mesothelioma.
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Is Mesothelioma Painful?
Mesothelioma is painful, as the cancerous tumors often press on organs and nerves in the body. Additionally, some cases of mesothelioma cause retention of fluid in the abdominal or chest cavities. These types of pressure can lead to challenges with daily activities, coughing, breathing, and eating. If the mesothelioma tumors spread to other areas of the body, pain and aches can also occur.
How Mesothelioma Causes Pain
Unfortunately, many patients who have mesothelioma develop pain in different areas of their bodies. Some ways that mesothelioma causes pain includes the following:
- Nerve damage
- Organ restriction
- Infiltration of tissues
- Retention of fluid
The type of pain will depend on the type of mesothelioma a patient has and the severity of their condition. The following are the types of mesothelioma and the types of pain that they may cause.
Pleural Mesothelioma
Pleural mesothelioma is a type of cancer that invades the lining of the lungs. Many patients who suffer from mesothelioma have pain as an early symptom of the disease. People with pleural (lung) mesothelioma often report severe chest discomfort, difficulty breathing, painful coughing, lumps of tissue under the skin of the chest, and unexplained weight loss, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the abdomen. The American Cancer Society indicates that many patients suffering from peritoneal mesothelioma develop pain in their stomach and abdomen area, both from the tumors as well as from the buildup of fluid.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma occurs in the lining around the heart. Many patients who have pericardial mesothelioma develop irregular heart rhythms, chest pain, shortness of breath, and heart murmurs.
Other Mesothelioma Painful Symptoms
Some of the other types of pain that occur with all forms of mesothelioma include excessive sweating, fatigue, fevers, weight loss, and blood clots.
Managing Mesothelioma Pain
There are several ways in which a doctor can work with a mesothelioma patient to manage and reduce their pain. Because mesothelioma is painful, the following options might make a difference regarding the reduction of pain and the increase of comfort for a patient:
- Additional surgeries to remove large tumors
- Pain medications (over-the-counter pain medications, opioids, antidepressants, anti-inflammatories, anticonvulsants, medical cannabis, or topical lidocaine patches)
- Pain-management therapies
- Alternative therapies (breathing exercises, biofeedback, hypnosis, acupuncture, massage, and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) devices)
- Palliative treatments (intended to ease symptoms including strong pain medications and supportive care from hospice)
- Palliative radiation and chemotherapy (intended to shrink the tumors to increase the quality of life of the patient)
Visiting with a doctor can help determine the best course of action for your mesothelioma case.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm Today
Mesothelioma is painful, and if you a physician has given you a mesothelioma diagnosis, you have the right to pursue justice for your pain and suffering. If you would like to review the legal options you might have, call the team at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 307-3113 today for a free case review as you consider your next steps.
What Does Mesothelioma Feel Like?
Mesothelioma will have different symptoms depending on the type of mesothelioma a person develops. Mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the lungs, heart, abdomen, and testes. Depending on the particular area that a person develops mesothelioma, the symptoms of discomfort, pain, and pressure will typically start in those areas of the body.
Pleural Mesothelioma
The American Cancer Society indicates that pleural mesothelioma (lining of the lungs) will feel like a pain in the side of the lower back or chest area. Other symptoms may include shortness of breath, dysphagia (difficulty swallowing), coughing, hoarseness, and possible swelling of the face or arms.
Peritoneal Mesothelioma
Peritoneal mesothelioma (lining of the abdomen) will feel like abdominal pain in many cases. Other symptoms may include swelling of the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, constipation, and other types of gastrointestinal issues.
Pericardial Mesothelioma
Pericardial mesothelioma (lining of the heart) will feel like chest pain as well. Many other victims suffering from pericardial mesothelioma may experience a heart murmur, irregular heart rhythm, and possible shortness of breath.
Generalized Mesothelioma Symptoms
Many of those that suffer from mesothelioma in the lining of their lungs, heart, abdomen, and testes (rare) will all feel similar symptoms. Some of these generalized mesothelioma symptoms may include fever, fatigue, weight loss, excessive sweating, blood clots, and a loss of appetite.
Visit with a Medical Professional
There are many other reasons that are completely benign and unrelated to mesothelioma that would cause these types of symptoms. Therefore, it is always advised that you visit with a medical professional if you experience any of these types of symptoms. However, if you do visit a healthcare professional and had significant or substantial exposure to asbestos at any point in your life, you may want to take the time to talk with your doctor about your exposure to this known carcinogen.
Asbestos and Mesothelioma
In the event that your doctor does not have an extensive background with patients that suffer from mesothelioma, you may want to consider visiting a specialist. Most oncologists and doctors that visit with patients suffering from mesothelioma understand that there is a strong connection between the diagnosis of mesothelioma and the exposure to asbestos, as indicated in Annals of Translational Medicine.
The soft mineral, asbestos, is a known carcinogen and can easily settle into the lining of the lungs, abdomen, heart, or testes where it remains dormant for several decades. In some cases, those exposed to asbestos will then suffer from mesothelioma decades later when these asbestos fibers begin to change and alter the cells around them into cancerous cells that metastasize (spread) throughout the body rapidly.
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Speak with a Mesothelioma Lawyer
Every person with a mesothelioma diagnosis will have different experiences and symptoms. However, if you feel that you have any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you should consider visiting with a medical professional as soon as possible to receive an appropriate evaluation. If you do receive a mesothelioma diagnosis, learn how our mesothelioma lawyers at Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 307-3113 can help you with your case.
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Is Mesothelioma a Chronic Disease?
As with other types of cancer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers mesothelioma to be a chronic disease. The agency defines chronic diseases as medical conditions that affect your health for at least a year. However, many chronic diseases have a lifelong impact on your health, such as asthma, arthritis, and diabetes.
There are different types of mesothelioma that affect the body in different ways. For instance, pleural mesothelioma can cause chest pains, coughing, and breathing difficulties, while peritoneal mesothelioma can result in abdominal pain and swelling, according to Mayo Clinic. Once you reach the stage where these symptoms appear, they may stay with you throughout your entire treatment. Your health will also worsen without medical care since cancer eventually spreads to other parts of your body and affect their functions.
Managing Mesothelioma
Unfortunately, many chronic diseases, including mesothelioma, do not have cures or vaccines yet. They also do not disappear on their own. Instead, treatments and medication can control their severity and help you manage the symptoms.
You can bring mesothelioma down to a survivable level if you have it treated as soon as possible after the diagnosis, according to The Oschner Journal. Doing so is especially crucial if you detect it at a later stage since mesothelioma is highly aggressive and can potentially kill patients within a year.
However, mesothelioma treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy can cost you tens of thousands of dollars. Many patients and their families are unprepared for these expenses, often leaving them in a dire financial situation that could take years to recover from. You could, however, file an insurance claim to help compensate for your expenses.
Filing a Lawsuit
If you suspect that your mesothelioma was the result of someone else’s negligence, you could sue them with an injury lawsuit. For instance, if you worked in a manufacturing plant that handles asbestos and your employer did not provide protective gear or implement safety measures, they can become liable for the health conditions you develop as a result of the exposure. If you win the case, the civil court can order the at-fault party to repay you for your expenses and the suffering you went through.
Filing a mesothelioma case can be complicated because it typically takes decades before it gets detected. A defendant could easily argue that another asbestos exposure incident might have caused your disease. However, you can get the help of an attorney to disprove this defense.
Find Justice for Your Mesothelioma
Even though mesothelioma is a chronic disease that does not have a cure yet, treating it aggressively until you can manage your condition gives you a better chance of seeking compensation yourself. If you want to legal action against the party responsible for your asbestos exposure, the office of Pintas & Mullins Law Firm is ready to provide legal assistance.
We have mesothelioma lawyers who can help you find evidence, comply with state filing requirements, and act as your representative in court or with insurance providers.
For more information on mesothelioma lawsuits and our other attorney services, you may call us at (800) 307-3113.
Can You Get Mesothelioma Without Asbestos Exposure?
According to the National Cancer Institute, asbestos is a material that was used in construction but was removed when a connection to cancer was discovered. Asbestos exposure is the only confirmed way to develop mesothelioma. However, it is possible to get mesothelioma without asbestos exposure.
According to the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD), new research shows that a volcanic material called erionite might also cause mesothelioma. Both have been found in construction and mining areas, which means that both asbestos and erionite may be used in construction projects.
Determining Liability
Liability is a central part of your lawsuit. If a party is liable for your injuries, that means that they are financially responsible for your expenses. In your case, the company that used asbestos in construction projects or the property owner may be liable for your expenses.
Determining liability in a mesothelioma case can be a little difficult because of the nature of asbestos use. In many cases, it is only found in older houses and buildings where it was not able to be removed yet. This can make it a bit difficult to determine if the construction company installed or if it was installed by another contractor at a later date.
The easiest way to determine where the asbestos came from is to have a lawyer research the problem. Discuss your case with a lawyer to see what legal options you can take to hold them responsible.
Settlement vs. Trial
If you file a lawsuit against the company, there is a chance that you will be offered a settlement agreement. The majority of civil lawsuits end in settlement agreements because they benefit both parties. For you, this means that you will see a faster end to your lawsuit and be able to collect compensation sooner.
Seeking Compensation
If you developed mesothelioma, you might be able to seek compensation for any expenses related to your recovery. This includes:
- Medical expenses: Any medical expenses that you have can be claimed. This includes treatment costs, ongoing care costs, and the cost of hospital stays.
- Lost wages: If you have missed work because of your treatment or recovery, you can claim the wages that you lost in the lawsuit.
There may be other expenses that you can claim that are not covered on this list. Make sure that you document as much as possible so that you and your lawyer can create an accurate list of expenses. That way, you have a better chance of getting all the compensation that you need to cover your expenses.
Reasons to Hire a Lawyer
Hiring a lawyer gives you the resources that you need to file your lawsuit and negotiate a settlement. This can be difficult to do on your own, especially if you are recovering from injuries or treatment. Your case is also likely to be handled by an insurance company that provides liability insurance to whomever you determine is liable for your condition. Consider hiring a lawyer to make sure that your needs are accurately represented when dealing with insurance companies for taking lawsuits to trial.
Contact Pintas & Mullins Law Firm at (800) 307-3113 to discuss your unique case with a member of our team today. The call is free and there is no obligation.
How Does Mesothelioma Affect the Immune System?
When cancer advances and starts spreading throughout your body, it can also reach and damage the organs that comprise your immune system. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer, and it will do this to your body as well. The cancer cells can target organs such as your lymph nodes or your bone marrow.
The reason mesothelioma and other types of cancer can harm our immune systems is that cancer cells appear similar to regular cells. As such, they go undetected by the cells that attack foreign or other harmful bodies.
Compromised immune systems increase your risk of catching bacterial and viral infections. Furthermore, you may experience more severe symptoms because your body cannot fight against these foreign invaders effectively. Even a common cold may make you feel even worse than it usually would.
How Mesothelioma Treatments Affects the Immune System
While these treatments are intended to help battle your mesothelioma, they can also damage your immune system. Therapies such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy kill both cancerous and healthy cells. Meanwhile, surgeries can also put you at a higher risk of infections since the incision exposes the inside of your body to germs. You may also encounter a treatment called immunotherapy, which is meant to boost your immune system to attack cancer cells. However, your body may have an adverse reaction, which could cause your immunity to plummet further.
You Can Sue Those Liable for Your Mesothelioma
A person, company, or another entity whose negligence resulted in your asbestos exposure can become liable for any injuries you suffer later on. This includes your mesothelioma and the rest of the complications it brings — even if it takes many years for your cancer to develop. If you want to bring them to justice, you can do so with a mesothelioma lawsuit. It lets you recover from the cost of treating your disease and the other struggles you suffered.
Before starting your case, consider a consultation with a mesothelioma lawyer first. They are already familiar with the laws on asbestos cancer in your state and can help you comply with the requirements, such as filing deadlines.
We Can Provide Legal Assistance
How mesothelioma affects the immune system can impact you or your loved one’s chances of survival. A prompt response after discovery is always your best defense against this cancer. Our lawyers at the office of Pintas & Mullins Law Firm are here to help once you are ready to bring the liable party to justice. We can provide legal support while filing your case and serve as your representative in court.
Our legal team has more than 30 years of experience working with clients from all over the United States. Besides mesothelioma lawsuits, we have also handled civil cases, including medical malpractice, dog bites, and nursing home abuse. For inquiries, you may call a member of our team at (800) 307-3113 for a free consultation.
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