Asbestosis Information and Resources

Asbestosis Overview

Asbestosis, like Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Induced Lung Cancer, is a respiratory disease associated with exposure to asbestos. Asbestosis may also be called diffuse pulmonary fibrosis. Though less deadly than mesothelioma, it is nonetheless a serious illness.

Asbestos begins with the inhalation of asbestos fibers. As with mesothelioma, this occurs most often due to occupational exposure to asbestos. Another similarity between asbestosis and mesothelioma is that the family members of asbestos workers can also contract asbestosis due to asbestos dust that is carried home on their clothing.

Asbestosis, like the other asbestos-related illnesses, can take many years, even decades, to appear. Symptoms usually take between twenty and thirty years to appear, after the exposure to asbestos. Initial symptoms of asbestosis are usually mild, and often go unnoticed. Common early symptoms of asbestosis include:

• Shortness of breath
• Asthma like symptoms
• A persistent inability to take a deep breath
• A thickening of the fingertips (clubbing)

As asbestosis develops it can lead to further adverse health conditions, including pulmonary hypertension. This leads to a thickening of the right ventricle of the heart, as well as of blood vessels. The thickening of the right ventricle is called cor pulmonale, which can lead to a complete failure of the right side of the heart. While Asbestosis is different than mesothelioma, studies have indicated that persons with asbestosis have a greater risk of developing mesothelioma, a cancer of the lining of the lungs that is almost exclusively caused by exposure to asbestos.

Currently, asbestosis has no cure. The symptoms of asbestosis can be treated, and proper medication has been shown to improve breathing and respiratory functions while administering oxygen can ensure that the bloodstream receives a sufficient oxygen supply. Current research is investigating the possibility of assisting the oxygen/carbon dioxide transfer in patients, as well as thinning the blood in order to reduce the pressure in the vessels and strain on the heart.

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