ASBESTOS TESTING
Health care services for military veterans at the VA Regional Office in Newark, N.J.

Contact information for military veterans to test for exposure to asbestos: VA Regional Office, 20 Washington Place, Newark, NJ 07102.

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 exposure to asbestos is an issue. These 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 any of your answers to these questions were affirmative, you may wish to discuss this with your health-care provider.

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 main indicators of asbestos-related diseases are coughing, coughing blood, shortness of breath, chest pain and weight loss. Unfortunately, these symptoms of contact with asbestos can appear up to 25 years after primary exposure. Annual or even semi-annual asbestos detection tests are recommended.

It is important to seek medical council if you believe that you have been exposed to asbestos. Other ways 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. Physicians may speak a language unclear to the typical patient. Don't fear asking your doctor about your health problem. If you don't totally grasp your doctor, ask her to explain it in a way that you can better comprehend.

Weitz & Luxenberg believes that all people who have participated in the U.S. Armed orces should receive the benefits they deserve. This includes compensation for deadly diseases such as mesothelioma.

If you or someone you love has developed mesothelioma after being exposed to asbestos, let us help. It's never too late for a free case evaluation. The form below starts the process.

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