A new sub group of mesothelioma suffers has arrived. Dubbed the “third wave”, more females are falling victim to mesothelioma cancers than ever before. The adult female mesothelioma sufferers that are appearing are suspected to be from a generation where, as children, they played or lived in close contact with parents who began destroying or removing asbestos-laden material while improving or remodeling homes.

The generation prior were exposed to asbestos as children without any forethought to their health as adults. At the time of exposure, asbestos materials, found in insulation, roofing, and wall board materials, were in heavy use in the housing industry when the consequence of exposure was still not known. These children were exposed to air borne particulate matter without any thought to preventative measures, such as respiration equipment, or simply removal from the contaminated area when demolition was taking place.

The number of people coming forward with mesothelioma diagnoses without a history of work place exposure is growing, steadily increasing since the early 1990s. Many of the new cases are directly related to having lived or having participated first hand in home renovations. The new generation of sufferers may have been exposed to asbestos several years ago, even before they were old enough to remember the renovation work. Mesothelioma exposure as a child has the same long-term health effects as those adults who were exposed on job sites in industries such as shipbuilding, industrial plumbing, and boiler maintenance.

For those who suspect they have been exposed to mesothelioma as a child, a health screen and examination is in order to assess for disease and scarring of lung tissues after asbestos has been inhaled during the renovation process. For those whose parents are still living, an appropriate measure would be to ask if the victim had been exposed to renovation environments in early developmental years.

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If you have recently been diagnosed with mesothelioma, now is the time for you to seek assistance through the legal system to help secure compensation for your condition. Many people who have also been exposed to asbestos-laden particulate matter and asbestos dust have already taken the proper steps to secure the compensation that is owed to you or your family.

In the 1970s, it was found that there was a direct link to mesothelioma cancer and asbestos. Prior to this finding, the use of asbestos in industrial jobs was common place. Many people who worked in the shipbuilding, ore refinery, paper and pulp mills and lumber industry were exposed to asbestos products as a matter of their daily working environments. Those who went to public and private schools, who spent long amounts of time employed in hospitals or who were incarcerated in prisons and jails also may have the risk for developing mesothelioma later in life. For those involved in home renovations, or who worked in the construction and demolition of buildings, they might also run the chances for developing mesothelioma cancers sometimes in their lives.

The hard fact of the situation is, there are countless people who have been exposed to asbestos. In many cases, the employers were not aware that they were exposing their workers to any harmful substances. Many people labored in closed areas or in areas where ventilations systems were inefficient or didn’t exist. Some workers in industry also wore equipment, such as flame-resistant suits and uniforms that were made with asbestos fibers in them. There is also a risk for the spouses of those who were married to industrial workers who brought asbestos particles home on their clothes and in their hair and on their skin. There is a sharp increase in the number of women who have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, presumably because they came into contact with asbestos fibers while laundering their husband or sons clothing.

If for any reason at all you believe that you have been exposed to asbestos, or know someone who has been exposed to asbestos, the time to seek an injury attorney who specializes in mesothelioma and asbestos litigation is now. Cases have settled in the multi-million dollar range and there have been well over a billion dollars in restitution paid to those who have been affected by asbestos and mesothelioma.

If you or someone you know has been experiencing a cough, with our without a blood discharge, chest pain, shortness of air or any combination of those symptoms and it has been suspected or confirmed that they have also ran the risk of being exposed to mesothelioma causing asbestos in the past, they should seek immediate treatment and be evaluated for mesothelioma cancers.

There may soon come a time when the United States government puts a restrictive cap on the amount of money a mesothelioma suffer can sue for or in restricting the ability for a person who has not become ill with mesothelioma to bring suit.

An asbestos ban named the Ban Asbestos in America Act of 2007 that had been proposed by Congress six years ago was finally passed by the Senate last week in a unanimous bi-partisan decision. If President George W. Bush does not veto the bill, the United States will be among 40 other countries that have already passed similar legislation. The bill will ban the import and export of more than 3,000 materials what are known to have used mesothelioma-causing asbestos as part of their production. The Environmental Protection Agency will be charged in enforcing the product ban.

In conjunction to the act, additional legislation will set aside $50 million in monies to be used for research concerning asbestos and mesothelioma-related diseases and illnesses, as well as call for the creation of a national treatment network. A promotional campaign concerning asbestos awareness is included in the funds and will be used to draw public attention to the dangers of using asbestos-laden products.

Additionally, the act calls for the creation of a mesothelioma registry through the combined efforts of the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the National Institute for Occupational safety and Health (NIOSHA), and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease registry (ATSDR) to be instated within one year after finalization of the act.

The United States once used approximately 800,000 tons of asbestos materials yearly in the mid-1970s. Today, the United States has decreased its consumption of asbestos products to approximately 200,000 tons annually. This is due in part from concerns that began to arise in the early 1970s that asbestos could be directly linked as a main cause of mesothelioma cancer for those who worked exclusively with the material in occupations that heavily supported asbestos consumption. Mesothelioma deaths have risen steadily every year since the link was made.

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In a effort to thwart the possibility of developing mesothelioma after having been exposed to asbestos, those at risk for developing the disease have begun to seek alternative treatments.  Mesothelioma has no known cure.  However, with the threat of any disease, prevention is the best safeguard for illness.

Among the available alternative treatments, antioxidants, aromatherapy, and massage therapy are three possibilities to aid in living with mesothelioma.

Antioxidants are substances naturally found in some foods and in pill form that work at preventing the development of free radicals in the body.  Free radicals are the precursor to chain reactions that can cause damage to cells on a microscopic level.  It is though that, through the prevention of free radicals, the body’s ability to protect against mesothelioma is increased.

Aromatherapy is a form of treatment which includes the inhalation of pleasurable scents, helping to lower the stress and anxiety levels in mesothelioma sufferers.  Although those diagnosed with mesothelioma did not find a significant amount of improvement in their conditions after adding aromatherapy to their treatments, the reduction in anxiety helps to improve the quality of life of ill individuals.

Finally, massage therapy is useful in relaxation and in improving blood circulation in the body.  Massage therapy helps to control pain, by relaxing tension in the muscles and in helping to improve the sufferer’s ability to reduce anxiety.  Although massage therapy doesn’t help in reversing or preventing mesothelioma, it allows those diagnosed the ability to better cope with the disease.

As with any alternative treatments for life threatening conditions, it is best to consult with your primary care physician to find out if non-medical approaches are best suited for your health condition.  Although alternative treatments offer support for anxiety and pain, they may not provide the same benefits as traditional medicine.

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