Asbestosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Prolonged lung exposure to asbestos can cause scar tissue, known as pulmonary fibrosis.
Asbestosis is not a cancer.
Everyone breathes in some asbestos fibers because it’s naturally in our environment. An occasional, brief exposure typically doesn’t cause asbestosis.
The severity of your lung scarring disease depends on length of exposure and amount of asbestos you inhaled. Usually asbestosis symptoms develop over a long time.
Your symptoms of asbestosis may involve:
- rales
- edema
- fatigue
- anemia
- chest pain
- weight loss
- hemoptysis
- hoarseness
- finger clubbing
- loss of appetite
- chest tightness
- persistent cough
- nail abnormalities
- neck, face swelling
- swallowing difficulty
- dyspnea ~ worsens over time
Asbestosis scarring of lungs tends to lead to COPD. It can also be a cause for lung cancer, mesothelioma or pleural disorders.
Many health problems caused by asbestosis are the result of respiratory infections, like pneumonia.
There’s no cure for asbestosis. However, treatment is available to help relieve your symptoms.
