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The U.S. armed forces relied heavily on asbestos during World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. Military asbestos exposure has caused thousands of veterans to develop severe lung diseases and cancers after retirement.
The consequences of asbestos exposure during service became a health problem for all veterans who served between the 1930s and late 1970s, many years after leaving the military, especially for those who fulfilled duty in the Navy. Due to the use of more than 300 asbestos-containing products in shipbuilding, former service members onboard vessels built before the 1980s were at an exceedingly high risk of asbestos exposure.
One of the diseases linked to inhaling or ingesting asbestos dust is pleural effusion, the inflammation produced by asbestos fibers in the lungs. Pleural effusion often indicates the onset of pleural mesothelioma but can also be present in other illnesses, including:
- tuberculosis
- arthritis
- congestive heart failure
- pneumonia
- pulmonary embolism
Pleural effusion, also called "water on the lungs," is the accumulation of surplus fluid between the layers of the pleura outside the lungs. Several studies have found that some of the patients with asbestos-related pleural diseases, like pleural effusion, have over a million asbestos fibers per gram in their lung tissue. In such cases, the lung scarring caused by the inhaled asbestos fibers is readily apparent on imagistic tests. It shows that asbestos exposure is likely to cause an unusual amount of fluid build-up in the space between the layers of the thin membrane around the lungs and the chest cavity.
Pleural Disease, a Hallmark of Veterans' Asbestos Exposure
Military property such as aircraft, vehicles, engine rooms, barracks, mess halls, ships, and shipyards require ongoing maintenance, repairs, or consolidation work that regularly disturbs asbestos products. Tasks like drilling, sanding, or cutting cause the fibrous mineral to disintegrate into tiny fibers that can remain airborne for hours. Once inhaled or ingested, these microscopic threads become trapped in the respiratory tract since the human body is not designed to eliminate them naturally.
When asbestos fibers get lodged in the thin membranes surrounding the lungs or chest cavity, they cause a variety of pleural affections, other than mesothelioma, generally named pleural diseases, including asbestos pleural effusions. Even if there is an aftermath of exposure to the mineral's toxic fibers, these illnesses are benign, usually last for 3 - 4 months, and can often be asymptomatic. Pleural effusion can also progress to diffuse pleural thickening when there's a history of asbestos exposure. Medicine splits pleural effusion into two types, depending on the fluid's characteristics around the lungs:
- protein-poor or transudative: an effusion that can follow cirrhosis or heart failure
- protein-rich or exudative: fluid comes from cancer or an infection
Diagnosis of pleural effusion usually happens during a physical exam, which includes listening to the patient's lungs, and evaluation is made with the help of tests such as:
- chest X-ray
- CT scan
- ultrasound
- biopsy
- pleural fluid analysis
If these less invasive tests don't diagnose pleural effusion, a thoracoscopy - a minimally invasive technique also known as video-assisted thoracic surgery (VATS ) - may be needed. VATS allows direct evaluation and treatment of pleural effusions.
Pleural Effusion Is a Symptom of Mesothelioma
Available information today clearly shows that a history of heavy asbestos exposure puts individuals at high risk for mesothelioma, as well as for other severe conditions such as asbestosis and asbestos-related lung cancer. However, the symptoms manifesting with mesothelioma can easily be mistaken for signs of less life-altering conditions. This is why paying attention to your health if you have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace is crucial, and seeking medical attention as soon as you start noticing the symptoms is of the essence. Like most asbestos-related diseases, pleural effusion appears only after 20 to 50 years following initial exposure and produces symptoms such as:
- sharp chest pain
- dry cough
- breathlessness
- fever
- hiccups
- clubbed fingers
- fatigue
- chest tightness
Even if it's a benign illness, pleural effusion can produce a series of complications. The most serious is pneumothorax, the collapse of the lung. Another severe complication is empyema, which is the build-up of lung pus due to infection.
Although with a pleural effusion diagnosis alone, veterans are not eligible for compensation, they should regularly schedule check-ups to watch their health closely. The rate of misdiagnosis and cancer risk is high with pleural effusions, and if you have a history of asbestos exposure, getting a second and even third opinion outside the VA is strongly recommended. Upon an asbestos-related cancer diagnosis such as mesothelioma, veterans become eligible to file a claim and obtain financial help.
Assisting Veterans Diagnosed With Asbestos-Related Cancer to Apply for Compensation
Veterans of the Navy, U.S. Army Transport Service, Coast Guard, Air Force, and Merchant Marine may file for compensation from the asbestos trust funds and the VA to pay for their medical treatments, lost income, and other expenditures if they have proof of asbestos exposure and an asbestos-related cancer diagnosis such as:
- pharyngeal cancer
- colorectal cancer
- mesothelioma
- laryngeal cancer
- esophageal cancer
- urogenital cancer
- bronchial cancer
- lung cancer
- gastrointestinal cancer
Claims have a statute of limitations, so updating your information about them can prevent situations where you cannot pursue compensation. To avoid the disappointment of filing for claims after the regulated time has expired, contact an asbestos attorney as soon as possible after your diagnosis. It's an essential step to ensure your claims are filed on time. We can assist you by connecting you with legal specialists ready to help you with your case.