While the Chicago area is filled with a number of beautiful homes, many of these homes were built in the early to mid 20th century. You might not realize it, but if you’re living in a home which was built in the 20th century or before, it could very well be infected with dangerous asbestos. Over the years, the mineral has been used in manufacturing a number of construction materials, including insulation and fireproofing materials.

While materials that are made with asbestos are not inherently dangerous, they can become a hazard if broken down or destroyed. You see, when these materials are broken down, asbestos enters the air to float around freely. Once asbestos particles enter the air, they can be inhaled by humans, resulting in sometimes fatal health problems.

Why it’s important to test for asbestos as soon as possible

It’s impossible to know whether or not your Chicago home, factory, or warehouse is infected, so getting it tested as soon as possible would be wise. Typically, it takes years of inhaling asbestos in order for it to truly impact your health. However, this is not true in all cases.

Some human beings are more susceptible to the negative effects of asbestos than are others. Here are 5 reasons why you should hire a Chicago asbestos testing service to perform asbestos testing on your home.

1. It’s in everything

Alright, it’s not in everything. But as far as houses go, asbestos is in quite a few materials. In particular, asbestos can be found in insulation and fireproofing materials. Your Chicagoland suburbs home is liable to be filled with insulation. While not all insulation contains dangerous asbestos, yours very well could.

But don’t worry. Just because your house contains insulation doesn’t mean that it’s infected with asbestos. Asbestos molecules don’t become dangerous until they’ve been released into the air. You should have a Chicago asbestos contractor check for broken insulation to ensure that this is not the case.

2. Cancer risks

Asbestos may cause cancer. The most common cancer caused by asbestos is a cancer of the lungs called mesothelioma. However, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, and other forms of cancer have also been linked to asbestos.

Typically, the longer you’re exposed to the dangerous mineral, the more likely you are to develop cancer later in life. To ensure that dangerous, cancer-causing asbestos does not exist in your home, you need to get it tested. Hiring a Chicagoland suburbs asbestos testing service will do the trick.

3. It causes heart enlargement

In addition to causing cancer, asbestos has also been shown to cause an enlarged heart. This is due to a disease that is contracted through long-term exposure to asbestos, called asbestosis.

Asbestosis eventually will lead to hypertension, which will lead to an enlarged right ventricle, which will lead to an enlarged heart. An enlarged heart, more often than not, results in an early death.

4. It causes lung disease

Asbestos can cause a litany of diseases, but the disease that is most often caused by asbestos is lung disease. In fact, most of the other diseases which are caused by asbestos begin as consequences of lung disease.

Lung diseases caused by asbestos run the gauntlet from mild to fatal. They include chronic cough, difficulty in breathing, mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, and many more. The longer you’re around dangerous asbestos, the more likely your lungs will become affected. To avoid harm from asbestos, hire a Chicago asbestos company to perform an asbestos test on your home.

5. Children are especially vulnerable to it

The consequences of asbestos exposure often take decades to rear their ugly heads. In fact, many adults may be contaminated by asbestos, but pass away before the effects of asbestos can take hold. The people who are truly vulnerable to asbestos are children.

Kids are more vulnerable to asbestos for one reason, and one reason only: They have more time to be affected by the slow-moving consequences of asbestos exposure. This dangerous mineral is present in many Chicago area homes. If ignored, it can be fatal. Don’t let it linger for even one more day. Hire a professional Chicagoland suburbs asbestos tester to determine whether or not your house is in the clear.