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this pageAsbestosis Is a Serious, Disabling Disease
Asbestosis and asbestos pleural disease are serious, debilitating conditions that are caused by exposure to asbestos. They decrease lung capacity and function, restrict breathing, and reduce the ability of your lungs to efficiently transfer oxygen from air into your bloodstream. Some people who suffer from asbestosis eventually develop lung cancer.
How Asbestosis Scars the Lungs
Asbestosis works its damage by scarring lung tissue and causing inflammation. Inhaled asbestos fibers reach the air sacs where oxygen is transferred into the blood. The lung’s immune system becomes activated. Scavenger white blood cells (macrophages) try to break down the asbestos (phagocytosis) but are not successful, causing other cells (fibroblasts) to grow and form connective–tissue–based scars. The formation of scar tissue or collagen in the lungs is known as fibrosis. The scar tissue slowly builds up, reducing the lung’s ability to deliver oxygen to the blood and remove carbon dioxide. (See Asbestosis and the Inflammatory Process for more details).
Asbestos pleural disease results in a similar scarring process as the one that occurs inside the lung with asbestosis; however, it occurs in the thin lining of the lungs and chest (pleura) rather than in the lungs. If the scarring is diffuse and extends along the chest wall, it is called pleural thickening. If the scarring is more focused and well–defined, it is called pleural plaques.
Symptoms of Asbestos Diseases Take Decades to Develop
It usually takes decades after a person’s first exposure to asbestos before he or she develops asbestosis. Early symptoms may include shortness of breath and chest pain. The physician may use x–rays, CT scans, and breathing or pulmonary function tests to diagnose whether asbestosis or asbestos pleural disease is present.
Asbestosis victims are also at risk for developing asbestos lung cancer and mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer that causes extreme respiratory problems. If x–rays or a CT scan reveals a pulmonary nodule, the doctor may biopsy it to determine if the patient has developed these diseases.
Asbestosis and asbestos pleural diseases progress slowly. They may be treated, but not cured. Treatment methods center on making the patient more comfortable and able to tolerate the burdens of these diseases. They include the use of bronchial drainage techniques, bronchodilators, humidifiers and chest percussion.
Diagnosis and treatment procedures for asbestos disease are described in more detail on our web sites, Asbestos Network and Mesothelioma Network. See the articles, Asbestos Symptoms Take Decades to Develop and Asbestosis May Be Treated, But Not Cured for information about asbestosis.
Asbestosis and Your Legal Rights
Please feel free to contact us with any legal questions if you have been diagnosed with asbestosis, asbestos pleural disease, or an asbestos–related cancer. Our asbestos attorneys have been handling asbestos cases for over 20 years and have an excellent track record. We will evaluate your case free of charge and let you know your legal options.