HIV/Aids

What is HIV/Aids?

HIV is the cause of one of the most devastating epidemics ever to hit sub-Saharan Africa, but people with the infection can be encountered across the world. People who carry HIV may appear completely healthy.

However, the virus can be found in their blood and sexual fluids - and the most common way it spreads is when you have sex, either heterosexual or homosexual, with an infected person.

Although modern medication can keep an HIV-infected person from becoming ill with Aids for many years, there is currently no cure, and no vaccine, for the virus.

How can I protect myself?

Practising safe sex is vital to avoid the spread of Aids/HIV - male and female condoms are an important piece of luggage for the traveller intending to have sex at home or overseas.

Although condoms are available in most places in the world, experts advise travellers to stock up before they leave the UK.

Waiting to buy condoms in the travel resorts could result in problems if the condoms are of a poor standard or have been stored incorrectly in tropical conditions.

Where will I have the greatest risk?

In the 21 years since Aids - Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome - first appeared it has killed over 24 million people across the globe.

Another 40 million people are currently infected with HIV, but are not yet sick with Aids.

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to two-thirds of all HIV positive cases and South Africa has the largest number of people living with HIV and Aids in the world.

Parts of the Asia and the former Soviet Union are currently undergoing great Aids problems.

But travellers are just as likely to catch HIV through a sexual encounter in the UK.

How can I lessen my risk?

Obviously the most important ways of avoiding Aids are using a barrier method for sex; not sharing used needles and infected blood.

Choosing a sexual partner carefully and avoiding multiple partners can also lessen the risks.

But travellers should be aware that a casual pick-up in a nightclub is no less likely to be a carrier than a sex worker.

What do I do if I am raped?

Anyone who is raped abroad should ensure they get immediate specialist care. Forced sex particularly where the person is cut carries a greater risk of HIV transmission.

Antibiotics and anti-retroviral drugs should be started as soon as possible, particularly where there is a suspicion that the rapist might be an HIV carrier.

What if I get hurt on holiday?

A blood transfusion in a country which does not screen its blood is a high risk. But the risks do have to be weighed against the risk of death if a vital transfusion is delayed or avoided. Travellers can always take sterile medical kits abroad with them in case of emergencies.

Diseases Related To Asbestos Exposure

Inhaling fibres and dust from asbestos can result in the development of serious and often fatal diseases. Prior to the mid 1970’s, asbestos was widely used in various products and especially in the construction industry. But, since at least 1965, it’s been well known that exposure to even small amounts can cause lung cancer.

If you or a loved one has been exposed to the hazards of asbestos, you are probably eligible for asbestos compensation. If you’ve been diagnosed with any of the following diseases, you should contact an experienced attorney and discuss your case with them. You generally don’t even need any money, the attorney will take their fees out of your settlement.

There are four diseases that are directly related to asbestos exposure. Pleural thickening affects the lining inside the lungs and can cause respiratory distress. Asbestosis is a scarring or fibrosis in the lungs that results in difficulty breathing and coughing.

If you’ve been exposed to asbestos, you have an increased risk of developing lung cancer. But, asbestos itself can cause lung cancer. Mesothelioma is a cancer that occurs in the lining of the lungs or in the stomach. It is a fatal type of cancer for which there isn’t any treatment.

Because the use of asbestos was so widely spread, you didn’t have to work directly with the material to suffer from problems of exposure. It was found in many different industries and since it was often used in aprons, cloth and yarn, it was even present in many homes.

Today, there are thousands of new cases of diseases resulting from asbestos exposure being diagnosed each year. And, most of these people are demanding the asbestos compensation that they so duly deserve for all the pain and suffering they’ve been subjected to.

Asbestos Kills!!

When is Asbestos Dangerous?

The most common way for asbestos fibres to enter the body is through breathing. In fact, asbestos containing material is not generally considered to be harmful unless it is releasing dust or fibres into the air where they can be inhaled or ingested. Many of the fibres will become trapped in the mucous membranes of the nose and throat where they can then be removed, but some may pass deep into the lungs or, if swallowed, into the digestive tract. Once they are trapped in the body, the fibres can cause health problems.

Asbestos is most hazardous when it is friable. The term "friable" means that the asbestos is easily crumbled by hand, releasing fibres into the air. Sprayed-on asbestos insulation is highly friable. Asbestos floor tile is not.

Asbestos-containing ceiling tiles, floor tiles, undamaged laboratory cabinet tops, shingles, fire doors, siding shingles, etc. will not release asbestos fibres unless they are disturbed or damaged in some way. If an asbestos ceiling tile is drilled or broken, it may release fibres into the air. If it is left alone and not disturbed, it will not release fibres into the air.

Damage and deterioration will increase the friability of asbestos-containing materials. Water damage, continual vibration, aging and physical impact such as drilling, grinding, buffing, cutting, sawing or striking, can break the materials down making fibre release more likely.

Health Effects

Because it is so hard to destroy asbestos fibres, the body can not break them down or remove them once they are lodged in lung or body tissue. They remain in place where they can cause fatal disease.

There are three primary diseases associated with asbestos exposure:

Asbestosis (Pulmonary Fibrosis)

is a serious, chronic, non-cancerous respiratory disease. Inhaled asbestos fibres aggravate lung tissue which causes them to scar (fibrosis). Symptoms of asbestosis include shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, a dry crackling sound in the lungs upon inhalation, cough, chest pain, nail abnormalities or clubbing of the fingers. In it's advanced stages the disease may cause cardiac failure.

There is no treatment for asbestosis. The disease is usually disabling or fatal. The risk of asbestosis is minimal for those who do not work with asbestos; the disease is rarely caused by neighbourhood or family exposure. Those who renovate or demolish buildings that contain asbestos may be at significant risk, depending on the nature of the exposure.

Pleural Effusion

is an accumulation of fluid between the layers of the membrane lining, the lung and the chest cavity. Pleural fluid is normally formed in small amounts to lubricate the surfaces of the "pleura," the thin membrane that lines the chest cavity and surrounds the lungs. A "pleural effusion" is an abnormal collection of this fluid.

Two different types of effusions can develop. Transudative pleural effusions are usually caused by a disorder in the normal pressure in the lung. Congestive heart failure is the most common type of transudative effusion. Exudative effusions form as a result of inflammation of the pleura, which is often caused by lung disease. Cancer, tuberculosis and other lung infections, drug reactions, and asbestosis are some of the diseases that can cause exudative pleural effusions.

Mesothelioma

is a rare form of cancer which most often occurs in the thin membrane lining of the lungs, chest, abdomen and (rarely) the heart. People who work in asbestos mines, asbestos mills, factories and shipyards have an increased risk of mesothelioma. People who live with asbestos workers or who live near a shipyard which produces high quantities of airborne asbestos fibre, are considered to be at high risk. The tumour spreads rapidly to involve the pericardium (sac around the heart), mediastinum, and opposite pleura. Progressive pain and shortness of breath occurs. The tumour is usually associated with a pleural effusion.