Don’t Assume Coughs And Breathing Difficulties Are Due To A Cold!

Autumn has arrived and winter will soon be upon us. During these chillier seasons there is generally an increase in cough and cold type symptoms, particularly in the over 60s. Whilst the majority of these symptoms will be caused by nothing sinister, unfortunately, for some people, the symptoms may be the first sign of an asbestos-related disease having developed.

Asbestos diseases

There are a number of recognised asbestos-related diseases and also some conditions which can be an indicator of an asbestos-related condition.

Asbestos diseases:

• Pleural plaques
• Pleural thickening
• Asbestosis
• Asbestos-related lung cancer
• Mesothelioma

Conditions which could be an indicator of an asbestos disease:

• Pleural effusions
• Rounded atelectasis
• Folded lung.

These conditions range from being benign with minor symptoms, through to cancerous and fatal. With the exception of pleural plaques, which only rarely causes symptoms, each of the conditions mentioned above often starts with a cough or shortness of breath.

Coughing and shortness of breath can be caused by colds, flu and other harmless and short-term conditions. However, if you have been exposed to asbestos dust in the past and you develop a cough or shortness of breath which doesn’t go away after a few weeks, you should seek medical advice without delay and ensure the medical professional knows you have been exposed to asbestos dust. Medical investigations can then be swiftly carried out to hopefully rule out any sinister asbestos-related disease.

Pleural thickening is a benign condition but if it is causing symptoms and legal blame can be placed upon someone for the asbestos exposure, then a compensation claim is an option to be pursued.

Asbestosis and asbestos-related lung cancer can be fatal conditions. Unfortunately, mesothelioma is always fatal. Again, if legal blame can be proved, compensation can often follow for these conditions.

Pleural effusions, rounded atelectasis and folded lung are not in themselves asbestos-related diseases but they can be indicators to medical professionals that an asbestos-related condition is lurking.

Statistics

The latest available Health and Safety Executive (HSE) statistics indicate that for many years, there have been in the region of 2,250 to 2,500 people each year in the UK who have died from mesothelioma. Although there are some treatments available to assist with managing mesothelioma symptoms, there is still no cure and death is inevitable.

It is estimated there are just as many people each year who die from asbestosis and asbestos-related lung cancer. That is approximately 5,000 deaths per year caused by asbestos-related diseases. The majority of those people are likely to suffer first symptoms such as a cough, breathing difficulty, unplanned loss of weight or pain in the chest/ribs.

Men v Women

Although the majority of asbestos disease sufferers are men, there are more and more women who are being diagnosed with these conditions.

Men typically worked in industries such as shipbuilding, construction (including all the trades such as plumbers, electricians and carpenters), firefighting, engineering, mechanical, seafaring and on the railways. However, many women were also exposed to asbestos dust when working in factories, schools, hospitals and shops. Women were also exposed to asbestos dust when their husbands unwittingly brought home asbestos-contaminated work clothes to be washed.

Exposure to asbestos dust is not just limited to occupational exposure. We are seeing more and more clients, particularly with mesothelioma, whose exposure happened through living in rented properties many years ago with exposed asbestos materials present or who attended schools as children where they were exposed to asbestos dust from the construction of their classrooms and/or the use of items such as Bunsen burner asbestos gauze mats or even personal use of asbestos-contaminated talcum powder and/or make-up products.

Historical exposure to asbestos dust

Many people believe asbestos diseases are a historical problem and not something to be worried about today. However, it must not be forgotten that asbestos diseases typically take decades to show physical symptoms after the exposure to asbestos fibres took place. For example, mesothelioma is an asbestos-related cancer and most of our clients that we are acting for today were exposed to asbestos dust in the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s.

There is no upper limit as to how long ago the exposure to asbestos dust could have taken place so if you believe you may have been exposed to asbestos dust and suffer from unexplained or prolonged physical symptoms, the safest thing to do is to seek medical advice. Hopefully, all asbestos-related conditions will then be ruled out but if you are diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition, the sooner the diagnosis is made the more treatment options there will be available to consider.

Entitlement to payments

If you are diagnosed with an asbestos-related condition (other than pleural plaques), it is likely you will be entitled to DWP benefits and/or compensation payments. You should therefore contact a reputable and experienced firm of solicitors to find out your legal rights.

We strive to ensure that anyone who develops an asbestos-related disease has the best legal support at what will be a difficult and challenging time in their life. At Hodge Jones & Allen we have a specialist Asbestos and Industrial Disease Team – everyone in the Team is dedicated to helping asbestos disease victims and their families to ensure they are given a top level of legal service, as well as assistance in claiming DWP benefits. Our Team has three partners who each have a huge amount of experience in dealing with asbestos disease claims.

We urge anyone who has been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, or who has lost a loved one because of asbestos exposure, to make contact with us. All of our asbestos disease claims are dealt with under a “no win, no fee” agreement, meaning there is no financial risk in pursuing a claim.

Conclusion

Many asbestos disease sufferers have their first indication that something was wrong by way of a cough, breathlessness, unexplained weight loss or pain in their chest/ribs. If the symptoms do not go away within a few weeks, you are urged to seek medical advice and to ensure your doctor knows you have been exposed to asbestos dust in the past. Do not assume that the symptoms will go away by themselves or are due your age or a virus – by seeking early medical advice you are giving yourself the best chance in terms of medical treatment should you be diagnosed with an asbestos disease.

If you’ve been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease or are experiencing symptoms after asbestos exposure, contact our specialist solicitors on 0330 822 3451. Our experienced Asbestos and Industrial Disease Team can assist with claims and compensation on a “no win, no fee” basis. Get in touch for expert legal support today.