ASBESTOS TESTING
Information on veterans' services at the Springfield, OH, outpatient clinic

Veterans contact information for asbestos testing at the Springfield Community-Based Outpatient Clinic is: 512 South Burnett Road, Springfield, OH 45505. Phone: (937) 328-3385.

Read below to see if you may be at risk for exposure to asbestos. The following is a list of individuals at risk for developing an asbestos-related disease:

• Those with breathing problems
• People with prolonged exposure to asbestos
• People who think they have had extended exposure to asbestos
• Immediate family members of those who have worked in asbestos-related fields, even if the individual who worked with asbestos has no visible symptoms or breathing problems

Four specific diseases 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, these signs of asbestos exposure 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 crucial 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.

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 . . .