Information Regarding our Veterans: VA Puget Sound HCS American Lake Division
The contact information for VA Puget Sound HCS American Lake Division is 9600 Veterans Dr Tacoma, WA 98493 Phone: (253) 582-8440 or (800) 329-8387.
Read on to find out about who may be at risk for asbestos exposure. Primarily, there are some questions one should ask to figure out if asbestos exposure is an issue. The questions are: 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 you have answered yes to any of these questions, you may wish to discuss this with your health-care provider.
In general, there is a group of diseases that result from asbestos exposure: lung cancer, 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), and pleural plaque and thickening (scarring of the lining of the lung). The main indicators of asbestos-related diseases are coughing, coughing blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss. Unfortunately, the tangible signs of asbestos exposure can appear up to 25 years after initial exposure. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended.
If you need more information from your doctor, don't be afraid to ask.It is vital that the other 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. Weitz & Luxenberg is a proponent of the idea that all people who have participated in the United States Armed orces should receive the services they deserve. This includes compensation for potentially fatal diseases such as lung cancer.
If you or someone you love has developed lung cancer after exposure to asbestos, we want to help. It's never too late for a free case evaluation. The form below starts the process.
your next step . . .
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Find out more about help for Veterans available at UW Physicians Federal Way Clinic