Asbestos fibers inhaled can cause a chronic health hazard.
Asbestos fibers are indestructible in your lungs, however your body continually tries to get rid of them with its foreign body defense system. This results in scarring in the alveoli, reducing the elasticity of the lung, and eventually making it difficult to breathe. This process may take 20 to 40 years. A chronic health problem is generally irreversible and continues to cause health problems long term. An acute problem means, the injury is immediate, often reversible and healing can occur short term.