Workers who were exposed to asbestos on the job and believe they have developed mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or other diseases may qualify to receive a free health examination to determine whether they are suffering from an asbestos-related illness.
But what exactly does a free asbestos health exam entail?
Below we have listed the main steps in undergoing asbestos testing in order to help you understand the steps that will be involved in your examination.
1. Filling out a medical questionnaire
The first step in determining whether you may be suffering from a disease caused by asbestos exposure is to complete a questionnaire about your medical history.
This questionnaire is designed to gather information about your work history (including your history of potential asbestos exposure), your medical history, and any symptoms that you may be experiencing in order to help a doctor determine whether you may be suffering from diseases caused by asbestos.
2. Review of your work history
After you complete a questionnaire about your medical history, your doctor or the specialist performing your health exam will talk with you about your employment history.
In order for a patient to be diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer caused by asbestos, or other asbestos-related diseases, a doctor must first be able to determine that you experienced prolonged asbestos exposure, or high levels of exposure over a shorter duration.
The conversation about your work history that you have with the doctor performing your exam may include discussions of jobs where you may have been exposed to asbestos, asbestos-containing materials you may have worked with, and discussions about how frequently, how often, and for how long you may have been exposed to asbestos.
3. Review of your medical history
The next step in determining whether you may have developed an asbestos-related illness is talking about your medical history.
The doctor performing your exam will want to know about the symptoms you have been experiencing, such as respiratory problems. They may also ask you about other health conditions you are experiencing in order to help determine whether your symptoms may be caused by a non-asbestos-related disease or an underlying health condition.
4. Medical examination
After reviewing your work and medical history, your doctor will perform a medical examination to learn more about your symptoms.
The doctor performing your exam will listen to your lungs using a stethoscope. Usually, they will also perform a pulmonary function test by asking you to blow into a device known as a spirometer to determine how well your lungs are functioning.
In some cases, your doctor may order additional tests – such as a chest X-ray, a CT scan, or sometimes a tissue sample from your lungs – in order to determine whether there is scarring or other signs of illness caused by asbestos.
5. Receiving your results
After you have completed a health questionnaire, talked with your doctor about your work and medical history, and undergone a physical examination, the doctor who performed your exam will analyze this information in order to determine whether you may be suffering from mesothelioma, lung cancer, asbestosis, or another illness linked to asbestos.
In addition to notifying you about whether or not you are suffering from an asbestos disease, your doctor will also provide you with information about the severity, or stage, of your illness, which will help in determining the best course of treatment for your illness.
6. Discussing treatment options
If you are diagnosed with a disease caused by asbestos exposure, your doctor may want to talk with you about treatment options for your illness.
Possible treatments for asbestos-related diseases vary depending on the type of illness with which you are diagnosed, the severity of your illness, and the stage of the disease you are experiencing.
Although asbestos treatments can be expensive, workers who were exposed to asbestos on the job may be eligible to receive compensation to help with these medical expenses my filing a claim with asbestos trusts set up to compensate victims of asbestos exposure. Workers may also be able to seek compensation by filing a lawsuit against their former employers, the companies that manufactured the asbestos products or materials to which they were exposed.
Schedule Your Free Asbestos Physical Examination
To find out more about whether you may be eligible to receive a free asbestos physical examination, contact the lawyers at Hissey, Mulderig & Friend by calling us toll-free at 1-855-500-3734.
You can also find out more about receiving a free asbestos test by completing the contact form located on the right side of this page for desktop users and at the bottom of the page for mobile users.
After we receive your message, a member of our staff will contact you to obtain any additional information that we need and to help you schedule a free examination to determine whether you are suffering from an asbestos-related illness.
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