Mesothelioma information and legal help

Mesothelioma is a rare form of cancer, but the deadliest one of all. It strikes about 3000 hard working people in the United States each year, mostly men over 40 years of age. It is caused by direct asbestos exposure, or from asbestos dust brought home on the worker's clothing. During the twentieth century, around 30 million tons of asbestos were used in industrial sites, homes, schools, shipyards and commercial buildings in the United States. Many asbestos-containing products remain in buildings, ships, industrial facilities and other environments where the fibers can become airborne.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the cells that make up the lining of the lungs, the inside of the ribs, and around the abdominal organs. In the past it was thought that cigarette smoking caused mesothelioma. However, with medical research it has been proven that it is caused by asbestos exposures.

Here's what the asbestos does. When a person breathes in asbestos fibers, the fibers then travel to the ends of the small air passages reaching the lining of the lungs and damaging the mesothelial cells (the lining of the lung cells). If swallowed, these fibers can reach the lining of the abdominal cavity where they play a part in causing a cancer called peritoneal mesothelioma. The chance of ever getting mesothelioma rises with the intensity and duration of your exposure to asbestos.

If you have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, you were most likely exposed to asbestos. Many asbestos manufacturers and even distributors knew for decades that asbestos was hazardous, yet they did not warn people of those hazards. As a result, you have a right of recovery against those manufacturers, which on the other hand can help pay the costs of treatment and provide compensation for your pain and suffering.

You can find more mesothelioma information and legal advices on legal-mesothelioma-help.com site which is a mesothelioma law firm dedicated to providing important information to asbestos disease and mesothelioma patients and their families, so that they will be able to make educated decisions about how to proceed in terms of filing a claim.

Law Office of McConathy & McConathy

Since 1976 Law Office of McConathy & McConathy has been dedicated to defending citizens’ accused of DWI (Driving While Intoxicated) throughout the State of Texas. If you are interested in their web site, it is very possible that you are one of the thousands of people who are charged with DWI every year. They understand the frustration you have been going through following your arrest. The confusion and fear when being stopped and asked to exit your car. Not knowing whether what you did was the right decision, having been arrested and spending hours in jail on a police officer opinion.

If you have been charged with a DWI, you may not know the legal dangers of this type of case. DWI Dallas defense, over the past thirty years, has become a highly technical criminal charge. Gone are the days of a simple DWI case, now officers are encouraged to become specialized in conducting DWI arrests by receiving certification to conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Tests.

In addition to the police officer, your case may involve a breath sample provided to a breath Test Technical Operators on a Intoxilyzer 5000. This problem will be compounded by the fact that most court have prosecutors who are specifically trained on making this type of case seem that it is based on accepted scientific principals. Law Office of McConathy & McConathy, over the past 30 years, has dedicated the majority of their DWI Dallas attorney to DWI defense.

Richard C. McConathy, junior member of McConathy & McConathy, has been co-counsel for Tex McConathy in more than 500 criminal proceedings in the Dallas, Denton Fort Worth, Irving, and Collin County courts while in the practice of law. Richard C. McConathy has handled numerous criminal matters for clients including: DWI, DWI 2nd, DWI 3rd, Intoxicated Assault, Dallas DWY, White Collar Fraud, State Felony and Misdemeanor cases, Aggravated Assault, Assault, Burglary, Aggravated Robbery, Theft, Drug Possession, Misdemeanor and Felony and Misdemeanor Probation Violations, White Collar Fraud, Federal Criminal Law, Federal White Collar Crimes, and State Appeals.

Tex McConathy, Board Certified in Criminal Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization, founding and senior member of McConathy & McConathy, an attorney with over 30 years experience in defending the rights of citizens of the United States and the State of Texas accused of criminal offenses. Tex McConathy has handled over 4000 cases in the Dallas, Fort Worth, Irving, Denton, Collin County courts, including the following matters: DWI, DWI 2nd, DWI 3rd, Intoxicated Assault, Domestic Violence, White Collar Fraud, Federal Criminal Law, Federal White Collar Crimes, Organized Crime Charges, RICO Violations, SEC Violation, Federal Weapons Charges, Federal Conspiracy Charges, Federal Drug Charges, State Felony and Misdemeanor Cases, Aggravated Assault, Assault, Burglary, Aggravated Robbery, Theft, Drug Possession, Sales of Drugs, Drug Trafficking, State and Federal Appeals.

Exposure to asbestos

Exposure to asbestos by Joseph Amainte

Asbestos is composed of fibers that can cause life threatening illness, such as mesothelioma (a cancer), among others. Many companies are being proactive and having asbestos removed before it can harm someone. It can live safely behind walls or ceilings, but as soon as any fibers escape, people may inhale them and become ill. It only takes a tiny amount ingested into the lungs. Unfortunately, the symptoms may not be visible for as long as 40 years, so it’s difficult to prevent getting sick from an unknown source.

Typically, a person becomes exposed to asbestos from work or even home but a third risk is for people that live near places such as shipyards, steel mills, power plants, refineries, and so on where asbestos is used. What happens is that the fibers become disrupted, contaminating nearby residential areas. In addition to the industries mentioned, other common areas include maritime, construction, automotive repair (specifically brakes and clutches), roofing, and railroads.

Just as asbestos can be a serious problem for some types of businesses, it can also exist in many homes and schools. Prior to the 1970s, some materials used for building structures contained asbestos. In fact, an estimated 30 million tons of asbestos fiber was used just in the U.S. during this time, with some winding up in homes and schools.

How can you make sure your home is free of asbestos? First,remember that your home, even if it was built before 1970, does not necessarily contain asbestos. The majority of individuals that have developed health problems related to asbestos worked in industries where asbestos was prevalent, but were not exposed in their home. In addition, bear in mind that the majority of people exposed to small amounts of asbestos do not become ill.

However, if for any reason, you r suspect that your home may have asbestos products, contact the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to request a listing of licensed or certified techniques who can check the home for asbestos and if found, remove it. The EPA may also recommend that you contact a separate firm to have them conduct an assessment to confirm there is no asbestos present from the other finding.

If you plan on building a home always check the materials used carefully to see if they are labeled free of asbestos. Until you verify that each product is safe, contact the product manufacturer to find out exactly what is contained in each product.

When you purchase a home from a private seller, the seller is required by law to disclose any known hazards to you, including asbestos. Apartment buildings built prior to 1970 may have materials that include asbestos in their construction. Remember that asbestos only becomes truly dangerous when the product breaks down or opens, until then it is not a health risk.

In 1995 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) set guidelines for asbestos discovery and follow-up in work environments. Any time it’s found, employees must be notified. The same applies to rental units. If your potential landlord informs you of existing asbestos, it will be your choice to live there or not.

Joseph Amiante provides a range of resources at his web site: Asbestos Pain, where you will find information that will help you on many asbestos related issues. Why not take a look: http://www.asbestospain.com

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Mesothelioma a cancer caused by asbestos

Mesothelioma a cancer caused by asbestos by Paul Wilson

The internal organs of the human body are encased in a protective sac called the mesothelium. Examples of mesothelilial membranes are the peritoneum (abdominal organs), pleura (lungs), and pericardium (heart).

Under specific conditions, the cells of the protective membrane divide uncontrolled and become cancerous. This disease is termed as Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer which is caused by prolonged exposure to asbestos dust.

The disease is found to occur among those who work in shipyards, asbestos mines and factories, industries that produce asbestos based products, and the heating and construction businesses. Approximately 3,000 cases occur each year in the US, and most patients are between 50-70 years old. Statistics show that males are commonly affected and among them whites more than African Americans.

First studied in the late 1700s in depth studies were only done in the 1960s. Tumors of the Mesothelioma can be benign or malignant. The malignant Mesothelioma are categorized into three types:

• Epithelioid, accounting for 50-70% of mesotheliomas.
• Sarcomatoid, accounting for 7-20%.
• Mixed or bi-phasic, accounting for 20-35%.

When asbestos fibers are breathed into the lungs they travel through large air passages to reach the smaller passages and from them the pleura. In the pleura they damage: the mesothelial cells leading to cancer; lung tissue causing lung cancer; and the development of scar tissue within the lungs known as asbestosis. When asbestos fibers are swallowed they reach the abdominal cavity and cause peritoneal mesothelioma.

Research reveals that the disease only manifests 20-50 years after being exposed to asbestos dust. The symptoms are not specific to the disease but a patient may develop:

• Breathlessness.
• Chest pain accompanied by tightness believed to be caused by accumulation of fluid in the pleura.
• Low back pain.
• Swelling of face and arms.
• Sensory loss.
• Muscle weakness.
• Nausea.
• Vomiting.
• Weight loss that is unexplained.
• Persistent dry cough.
• Sore throat.
• Anemia.
• Fever.
• Constipation.
• Problems with blood clotting.

Since the above are common to minor ailments, patients often ignore the symptoms. It is advisable to consult a doctor if any of the above symptoms persist or if you feel you have been knowingly or unknowingly exposed to asbestos.

A doctor will:

• Take down a detailed medical history and try and determine the symptoms and risk factors.
• Do a thorough physical examination and check for signs of:

o Pleural effusion, fluid accumulated in the chest cavity.
o Fluid in the abdominal cavity.
o Pericardial effusion, fluid in the lining of the heart.

• Take a chest x-ray and check for thickening of the pleura, calcifications, and lowered lung fissures.
• Ask for a CT scan to determine clearly the location, size, and extent of the problem if any is suspected.
• Recommend tests of tissue samples and pleural fluids.

Other risk factors are cigarette or cigar smoking, exposure to radiation, exposure to zeolite a compound that is similar to asbestos, exposure to or infections caused by SV40, a Simian virus.

Those who work in a risky environment should wear protective clothing, have the surroundings tested regularly for suspended asbestos particles, and ensure that they have regular medical tests and report to the doctor any ailments that persist.

Being aware of the disease and its problems helps.

Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888Discuss.com/health/ , the premier REVENUE SHARING discussion forum for Health Forum including topics on health care, Children's Health Issues, addiction, Cancer, fitness equipment, Burns & Injuries and more. His article profile can be found at the premier Health Article Submission Directory http://www.1888Articles.com/health-articles-8.html

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