However, one of the most startling statistics in relation to San Diego’s overall health is that the city ranks near the top of the United States when it comes to diagnoses and ultimately the deaths of people due to a crippling, debilitating and fatal disease known as mesothelioma. Below is a look at how mesothelioma tends to take hold of a patient, but if you or someone you love has been diagnosed with this terrible disease, contact a San Diego mesothelioma attorney immediately to schedule an initial consultation.
Step One – Exposure
Although there is no singular defined cause of mesothelioma, there has been a common thread that’s been identified with those who suffer from this disease. Each of them was at one time exposed to a substance known as asbestos. Asbestos is basically a compound of microscopic fibers that’s been used in many different situations, but most commonly as a form of insulation in buildings due to its natural properties that tend to inhibit fire.
What’s not known is how much exposure to asbestos must be present before mesothelioma will take hold, nor is it known how long a person must be exposed to this substance before the risk of the development of this disease becomes probable. What is known is that people need to avoid asbestos exposure at all costs in order to minimize the chance of developing this terminal condition.
Step Two – Development
Mesothelioma develops in a way that almost turns the body against itself. When a person inhales the asbestos fibers, they tend to become lodged in a person’s chest, usually in the tissue that surrounds and protects the lungs. The body’s natural reaction to this invasion is to attempt to expel the fibers, but the human body is not equipped to remove this substance.
As a result, mucous membranes tend to form around these fibers, and the new growth only becomes more firmly lodged inside the chest. Ultimately, these ‘tumors’ begin to grow and spread, and the person who’s been inflicted basically suffers from a form of terminal lung cancer.
Step Three – Prognosis
At this point, mesothelioma has been found to be 100% fatal in patients. On a national scale, more than 2,500 people die of mesothelioma in the United States every year, and hundreds of people in San Diego have died since 1979. The best estimate for lifespan after diagnosis is approximately 20 months.
Your Next Step
If you or someone you love suffers from mesothelioma, the last thing you should do is simply give up. You need to contact a San Diego mesothelioma attorney as soon as possible to schedule an initial consultation, as you may be able to pursue a recovery against the party or parties responsible for your initial exposure to asbestos. Contact an attorney today.
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