Help for Our Vets: Worcester Vet Center
You can reach Worcester Vet Center at 597 Lincoln St. Worcester, MA 01605 Phone: (508) 856-7428.
Could you have been exposed to asbestos? Read the following to see if you fall under a category at risk. First of all, there are some questions one should ask to figure out if asbestos is a personal health threat. Some questions to ask include: Do you think you have had prolonged exposure to asbestos? Are you an immediate family member of someone who has worked in asbestos-related industries? Have you worked somewhere where asbestos insulation was used? Is it possible your exposure to asbestos was in the form of a "burst exposure" (a very heavy concentration) to asbestos for short periods of time? If any of your answers to these questions were affirmative, you may wish to discuss this with your health-care provider.
Certain illnesses have been linked to asbestos exposure: Mesothelioma (a cancer of the thin membranes lining the thoracic and abdominal cavities and surrounding internal organs), asbestosis (a serious, chronic, non cancerous fibrous hardening and scarring of the lungs), lung cancer, and pleural plaque and thickening (scarring of the lining of the lung). The warning signs of asbestos-related diseases are coughing, coughing blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss. Unfortunately, these symptoms of asbestos exposure can appear up to 25 years after primary exposure. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended.
It is important to get tested if you feel that you have been exposed to asbestos. Initial testing is an x-ray (side and front view of your chest.) Other tests may include a pulmonary function test, blood work, a CT scan and/or biopsy. Physicians may speak a language unintelligible to the average person. As a patient, you should be sure to question your doctor about your health problem. If you don't understand your doctor, have him explain it in a way that you can better understand. Weitz & Luxenberg believes that all men and women who have participated in the U.S. Armed orces should receive the services they deserve. This includes compensation for potentially fatal diseases such as lung cancer.
Contact with asbestos can seriously damage your health. Weitz & Luxenberg understands this and wants to help. For a free consultation, fill out the form below.
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Find out more about tools for VAs available at Lowell Vet Center