AsbestosAsbestos Diseases
Pleural Disease
Pleural Disease can be recognized by changes or scars that begin to appear on the pleural tissue over time. Pleura line the chest cavity, and these only one-cell-thick membranes create the surface that the lungs expand and contract against. When healthy, they keep the lining of the lungs lubricated and friction-free. After about a ten-year latency period, exposure to asbestos may begin to affect the pleura forming what are commonly known as pleural plaques, which are forms of calcification or thickening that occurs.
Pleural Disease, while not a major health impairment on its own, may signify that a person could soon develop other more serious disease. It is something physicians treating patients who have been exposed to asbestos should be watching for. Once a pleural condition is diagnosed, it needs to be carefully monitored because this condition can occasionally affect the ability of the lung to expand and contract. It is important to make yourself aware of your rights if you have been diagnosed with a pleural condition.
