On the basis of your medical history and physical exam, your doctor may or may not recommend any of these tests for you: A chest x-ray is the most common test used to determine whether you have received sustained exposure to asbestos. The x-ray cannot...

Asbestos-related disease can be serious, though not everyone exposed to asbestos gets health problems. Health problems that develop may range from manageable to severe—and some may cause death.

Asbestos-related diseases can be: non-cancerous Asbestosis is scarring of the lungs. It is typically caused by very high exposure levels over a prolonged period of time, as seen in work-related asbestos exposure. Smoking increases the risk of developing...

Most people don’t show any signs or symptoms of asbestos-related disease for 10 to 20 years or more after exposure. When symptoms do appear, they can be similar to those of other health problems. Only a doctor can tell if your symptoms are...

Children have more time to be exposed and develop asbestos-related diseases. Medical experts do not know whether lung differences may cause a greater amount of asbestos fibers to stay in the lungs of a child who breaths in asbestos compared with the...