Asbestosis and Mesothelioma

Asbestosis and Mesothelioma

Asbestosis is a lung disease caused from the inhalation of asbestos particles and is marked by severe fibrosis and is characterized by a scarring of lung tissue.

Mesothelioma is a cancer of the mesothelial tissue and is associated with exposure to asbestos.

Signs and Symptoms

Sadly, asbestosis and mesothelioma symptoms are the same as many other types of lung related diseases and are both hard to detect during their early stages. The symptoms of the early stages can be so slight they may be confused with normal aches and pains or other illnesses such as persistent cough, flu, night sweats and fever or pneumonia.

Common early stage symptoms include:

• Dry cough or wheezing
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Difficulty or labored breathing
• Pain in chest or abdomen

Advanced stage symptoms include:

• Fever
• Anemia
• Muscle weakness
• Fluid in lungs (pleural effusions)

Asbestos was and is a common metal used because of its fire proof quality and as a result the U.S. Military used the asbestos material for piping, barracks, aircrafts, tanks and Navy ships. Thus Veterans account for nearly a third of all asbestosis and mesothelioma cases in the U.S. today. Veterans who developed mesothelioma and asbestosis and/or other asbestos-related conditions qualify for financial compensation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Compensation includes disability compensation, special monthly compensation and service related death benefits for surviving family members. Our firm is the only company that handles mesothelioma and asbestos-related Veteran claims in Tampa, Saint Petersburg and the surrounding areas; we facilitate asbestos-related claims.