| Asbestosis | |||||
 |
print this page |  |
email this page | ||
- What is asbestosis?
- Symptoms of asbestosis
- Causes of asbestosis
- Treatment of asbestosis
- Important asbestosis facts
Asbestosis is a chronic, inflammatory medical condition affecting the lungs. It occurs after a person has been exposed to asbestosis fibres over a long period and has inhaled the fibres into their lungs, where they cause health problems.
Asbestosis a mineral, was commonly used in insulation in buildings (due to its excellent heat insulation properties) and even in firefighter's uniforms (due to its fire-retardant properties) in the past. Over time, it was noted that those people working the factories who produced the materials with asbestos developed diseases of the lungs and a high percentage of workers (around 20-30%) died. Today, it is rarely used in building materials or any other areas.
Asbestosis causes a type of pulmonary fibrosis as it makes the lung tissue hardened and unable to inspire and expire properly.
Having asbestosis gives a person a very high risk for developing many types of lung cancer (including mesothelioma, a very rare type of cancer thats starts with tumours in the lungs).
- Shortness of breath (dyspnea), especially on exertion but also at any time (especially as the disease progresses)
- Lung (or chest) pain
- Unable to exercise for long due to shortness of breath
The only cause of asbestosis is - breathing in asbestosis fibres.
The immune system cannot break down the inhaled asbestos fibre to a harmless particle and remove from the body, which means the alveoli in the lungs become scarred and inflammed from the failed process. This called fibrosis.
The problem with the alveoli (the smallest branches in the lungs) becoming scarred and inflammed is that they are responsible for the carbon dioxide / oxygen exchange in the lungs and if this process stops working properly, then the lungs cannot oxygenate blood that is full of carbon dioxide and do not work effectively.
If many asbestosis fibres are inhaled over a period of time, this will scar and inflame many of the alveoli so that it makes it difficult for the lungs to work properly and eventually leads to severe fibrosis and even many types of cancer.
There is currently no treatment to reverse the effects of asbestosis on the lungs (and alveoli in particular).
Some mediation stategies to prevent further damage:
- Medications - various drugs are used to treat the symptoms of this condition - blood thinning medications and medication to dilate the blood vessels
- Stop smoking - should stop smoking, as this puts extra stress on the lungs which may exacerbate breathing difficulties
- Flu vaccination - it is recommended to have a flu vaccine to prevent further stress on the lungs which may exacerbate breathing difficulties
- Oxygen - this is normally given to patients with belaboured breathing difficulties or advanced stages of the disease
- Lung transplant - this is often a last resort treatment and only if there is an available set of lungs
- Asbestosis is a progressive and irreversible lung condition that leads to subsequent respiratory disability
- Symptoms of asbestosis do not normally develop in individual for at least 5 years after exposure to asbestosis
- Reducing your exposure to asbestos is the best prevention strategy for avoiding this illness
- Asbestosis can develop into mesothelioma, which is generally a very rare form of lung cancer, but is increasing in frequency as people exposed to asbestos get older and develop it in more numbers
- Many homes (apartments and houses) built prior to 1970 contain asbestos in the insulation of the build, hot water and steam pipes, stove tops andvinyl floor tiles as well as a whole host of other parts of the building - these are deemed to be fine as long as they are not disturbed and the fibres remain unreleased and do not pose a health risk
references
