Asbestosis
Asbestos is a material that had been used for many different things due to its strength and its resistance to heat and chemicals. Its use became popular in the beginning of the industrial revolution and skyrocketed from there. What people did not realize, however, were the dangerous side effects from inhaling asbestos fibers. More than thirty years passed, and those who were exposed to asbestos in their home and workplace began to develop certain symptoms that were linked to lung-related illnesses. One of the most prevalent diseases that developed from asbestos exposure is asbestosis. This breathing disease is linked to the scar tissue that forms around the lung cavity and breathing ability becomes hindered. Usually, the immune system does the job of destroying material that can be harmful to your body. The body is unable, however, to break down asbestos fibers. The long term exposure to it reduces a persons ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Asbestos is linked with this disease because a person cannot contract it without inhaling the fibers. The asbestos fibers are airborne and if a person has had years of continual exposure to it, there is a high risk of contracting a lung-related illness. Some people do not, however, contract the illness even with long term exposure. It depends how the fibers affect a particular person's lung cavity and how badly scar tissue forms around that area. TUnfortunately, if a person does contract the disease, it leaves them with complications such as developing mesothelioma, one of the most deadly medical conditions related to asbestos exposure. Although not as severe, asbestosis acts as a stepping stone to a worse condition if not diagnosed and treated promptly.
Asbestosis has similar symptoms to many other diseases, and even resembles those of pneumonia. Some of the symptoms that a patient should look for are chest pain, persistent coughing, shortness of breath, decreased ability to perform physical tasks and swelling of the fingers. It is important to remember that these symptoms are sometimes non-existent, and that does not necessarily mean a person does not have asbestosis. In order to diagnose this disease, a doctor may prescribe one of three things: take an x-ray, perform a CT scan, or do a pulmonary function test. Each of these tests are able to determine whether or not a patient indeed has asbestosis, and can even determine what stage the illness is in. Unfortunately, there is no way to reverse the effects that asbestos has to the lungs. Once a person is contaminated by the material, it is hard to tell whether or not an illness will develop.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
