It is Asbestos Awareness Week – April 1 to 7 2014

How much do you know about asbestos?

We would like to share some information during this special week of awareness.

A few facts of interest

Every year around three thousand people are diagnosed with mesothelioma, a deadly cancer caused by exposure to asbestos.

On average, they are given ten months to live. Put it another way, three hundred days or seven thousand and two hundred hours.

Asbestos is still not banned in the USA with roughly thirty million pounds still being used every year.

Even though it is thirty years since the peak of asbestos use, asbestos exposure is still the number one cause of occupational cancer in the USA.

No amount of exposure to asbestos is safe.

Navy veterans are at the greatest risk of developing mesothelioma because asbestos was so widely used in naval ships and shipyards.

Shockingly, asbestos can still be found in many homes, schools, commercial and industrial buildings. Renovation and construction also posed high risk areas for asbestos exposure.

If you lived with someone who was regularly exposed to asbestos and washed their clothes, you could be at risk for second hand asbestos exposure.

Asbestos was the material of choice in more than 3000 consumer products – items such as toasters and hairdryers. Some of these could well still be in use.

Asbestos fibers are actually invisible to the naked eye.blog image – asbestos penny

What is mesothelioma?

This website tells us that malignant mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer that occurs in the thin layer of cells lining the body’s internal organs, known as the mesothelioma.

“There are three recognized types of mesothelioma. Pleural mesothelioma is the most common form of the disease, accounting for roughly 70% of cases, and occurs in the lining of the lung known as the pleura. Peritoneal mesothelioma occurs in the lining of the abdominal cavity, known as the peritoneum and pericardial mesothelioma originates in the pericardium, which lines the heart.”

They go on to say

“An individual may be at risk to develop mesothelioma if he or she was exposed to asbestos in the workplace or at home. Mesothelioma is caused by exposure to asbestos and the inhalation of asbestos particles. In most cases, mesothelioma symptoms will not appear in an individual exposed to asbestos until many years after the exposure has occurred.”

“Those with a past asbestos exposure history experiencing symptoms should consult a physician with experience in accurately diagnosing mesothelioma. The earlier mesothelioma is diagnosed, the more likely it is to be caught at an early stage. At earlier stages of mesothelioma progression, more treatment options are available and often a better prognosis is given.”

What treatment is recommended for mesothelioma?

While progressive forms of mesothelioma require treatment by a medical professional, holistic treatment options can add to a medical treatment regimen.

Making dietary and other lifestyle changes (as well as using specific healing methods and supplements) can offer relief from the condition.

Avoiding sugar, all processed foods, GMOs, wheat products, artificial additives and hormones is crucial for detoxifying the body while getting nutrients from real, whole foods such as fresh fruit and vegetables (preferably raw) as well as free range eggs and poultry, good fats, fish and protein (such as meat from grass fed animals) boosts the body’s disease fighting mechanisms.

Appropriate nutritional supplements are also important as part of the treatment regime. For example, silicon, selenium and citric acid help defend and boost the body’s disease fighting mechanisms.

Some sites recommend the use of Hydrogen Peroxide Therapy as a treatment and obviously you really need to know what you are doing if you follow this route. You can find out more about this here.