Asbestos Hype

Asbestos is dangerous. However, it’s affects usually do not appear until years after prolonged exposure. The restrictive lung disease caused by asbestos exposure has no curative treatment. The lung tissue develops more and more scar tissue, until the lungs become completely ineffective. It is a painful, suffocating illness. Patients who develop asbestosis also have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. Repeated exposure from a work environment causes the illness to develop slowly, over time. Most people do not develop symptoms until years after exposure.
So yes, it may seem “over-hyped” if you freak out from one asbestos exposure. But even a small amount of asbestos can cause permanent scarring of your lungs, you just don’t feel any affects. Better to be safe now than sorry in thirty years.