Contact Birmingham Vet Center for Veterans' Information
Do you need to contact Birmingham Vet Center? 1500 5th Ave. South Birmingham, AL 35205 Phone: (205) 731-0550.
Could you have been exposed to asbestos? Read the following to see if you fall under a category at risk. Read each of the subsequent items for the most common characteristics of individuals who may be at risk for asbestos exposure:
- Individuals with breathing problems
- Individuals with prolonged exposure to asbestos
- Anyone who thinks they have had extended exposure to asbestos
- Immediate family members of individuals who have worked in asbestos-related fields, even if the individual who worked with asbestos has no noticeable symptoms or troubles with their respiratory system
Four specific diseases result from asbestos exposure: Asbestosis (a serious, chronic, non cancerous fibrous hardening and scarring of the lungs), mesothelioma (a cancer of the thin membranes lining the thoracic and abdominal cavities and surrounding internal organs), pleural plaque and thickening (scarring of the lining of the lung) and lung cancer. The most commonly known symptoms of asbestos-related diseases are coughing, coughing blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss. Unfortunately, the tangible signs of contact with asbestos can appear up to 25 years after primary exposure. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended.
If you don't understand your doctor's explanation, get him or her to explain it in a way that you can understand. It is vital that the usual mode of testing is an x-ray (side and front view of your chest.) Further tests may include a pulmonary function test, blood work, a CT scan and/or biopsy. Doctors sometimes speak a language unintelligible to the layman. All those who have participated in the U.S. Armed Forces should receive the benefits they deserve. Weitz & Luxenberg is committed to making this happen. This includes compensation for potentially fatal diseases that are caused by exposure to asbestos, such as mesothelioma.
If you or someone you love has developed lung cancer after exposure to asbestos, we can help. It's never too late for a free case evaluation. The form below initiates the process.
your next step . . .
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Know more about services for Veterans available at Birmingham VA Medical Center