Asbestosis

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a chronic lung condition that is caused by prolonged exposure to high concentrations of asbestos fibers in the air. Though asbestosis is believed to be mostly an occupational disease, there are reports of secondhand exposure to asbestos containing dust.

Learn About Asbestosis - Key Facts:

• Asbestos is a naturally-occurring mineral used as an insulation material and as a fire retardant. Exposure to asbestos can occur in certain occupations.
• Inhaling large amounts of asbestos fibers or its dust over a long period of time can produce scarring of lung tissue. This scarring is called asbestosis.
• Asbestosis is one of over 200 types of pulmonary fibrosis and is also classified as an interstitial lung disease. You may hear your condition referred to by any of these names.
• The severity of asbestosis depends in part on how long you were exposed to asbestos and the amount you inhaled.
• There is no cure for asbestosis, but treatment can help slow the progression of the disease and relieve symptoms.

What Causes Asbestosis?

Exposure to high levels of asbestos fibers is what causes asbestosis to develop. The airborne fibers and dust can become trapped in the alveoli (tiny air sacs in the lung at the end of the airways), where they irritate and scar the lung tissue. Since asbestosis is a progressive disease (meaning it gets worse over time), symptoms may not develop for up to 20 years after exposure. By this time the asbestos has significantly scarred the lung tissue, making it stiff and unable to expand normally. Smoking can increase the amount of damage done by asbestos and speed up the progression of the disease.

Who Is at Risk?

The main group at risk for asbestosis is people who worked in mining, milling, manufacturing, installation or removal of asbestos products before the late 1970s. With strict regulations in the United States, developing asbestosis from exposure on the job now is much less likely. Nonetheless, many workers in construction and some other industries still face potentially significant workplace exposure, particularly when they work with old equipment or participate in the demolition or renovation of older buildings.
Many homes that were built before 1977 may have asbestos in materials such as pipes, popcorn ceiling and floor tiles. Asbestosis does not occur from exposure to asbestos that is not in an inhalable dust form, so as long as the asbestos fibers are contained, it is not harmful, and you are not at risk of developing asbestosis.
You can find more information about risk factors and work rules designed to protect workers against asbestos in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website.

Asbestosis Symptoms and Diagnosis

When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can cause inflammation and scarring of lung tissues. Prolonged exposure to these fibers may cause the condition asbestosis, one of over 200 types of pulmonary fibrosis which is also classified as an interstitial lung disease. You may hear your condition referred to by any of these names. Because exposure typically occurred at work, it may also be referred to as an occupational lung disease.

What Are the Symptoms of Asbestosis?

The effects of long-term exposure to asbestos typically don't show up for 10 to 40 years after initial exposure. The most common symptoms are:

• Shortness of breath
• Persistent dry cough
• Chest tightness or chest pain
• Weight loss from loss of appetite
• A dry, crackling sound in the lungs while breathing in
• Wider and rounder than normal fingertips and toes (clubbing)

How Is Asbestosis Diagnosed?

Asbestosis is usually diagnosed by a careful medical history, exposure history and chest X-ray or CT scan that shows scarring of the lung tissues. This information, along with breathing tests, helps your doctor determine how severe your asbestosis is and how well your lung is functioning.
If you have a history of exposure to asbestos and you're experiencing increasing shortness of breath, you should contact your primary care doctor about the possibility of asbestosis. He or she likely will refer you to a doctor specializing in lung problems (pulmonologist). During the visit, your doctor will ask about your breathing, both at rest and during exercise. Your doctor will also ask about your job history in detail to determine how much you were exposed to asbestos. So, it would be a good idea to prepare the following information in advance:

• Your symptoms and the time they started
• Treatments given before for the symptoms and how they helped
• The work you have done over your entire career; the length of time you spent in each job; the nature of the work you performed.
• The products you were in contact with at work and whether or not you wore protective equipment
• Smoking history
• Any old medical records, including chest X-rays or CT scans

During the physical examination, your doctor will listen to your lungs to determine if the sounds are normal or not. Your doctor may then order the following tests:

• Chest X-ray
• CT scan
• Lung function test

Treating and Managing Asbestosis

How Asbestosis Is Treated

There is no treatment that can reverse the damage done by asbestos, but certain steps can help slow down progression of the disease and relieve symptoms. Avoiding further exposure to asbestos and other irritants such as cigarette smoke will help slow down the disease from progressing. Medication and breathing treatments may be prescribed by your physician to help ease breathlessness and maintain your general lung health. Here are some things your doctor may recommend to manage asbestosis:

• Quitting smoking as soon as possible. Smoking can increase the damage done by asbestos and speed up the progression of the disease. The American Lung Association offers a number of smoking cessation programs to give people trying to quit the support they need.
• Oxygen may be prescribed to help you get more air into your lungs. Oxygen is transferred from a tank through a tube that fits into the nostrils, or with the help of a mask. Learn more about oxygen therapy.
• Pulmonary rehabilitation is an exercise program designed to help all patients with chronic lung conditions maintain optimal activity levels.
• In very severe situations, your doctor may suggest surgery and refer you to a lung transplant specialist.

Managing Asbestosis

Your doctor can help manage your symptoms, but you can also take steps to keep yourself healthy by doing the following:

• Maintain nutrition with a well-balanced diet that limits salt intake and includes drinking lots of water.
• Get adequate sleep every night and take a short rest during the day if needed.
• Stay as active as you can by exercising regularly but be careful not to overexert yourself.
• Prevent infections by washing your hands often and getting flu and pneumonia shots according to your doctor's recommendations.
• Stay inside when air pollution is severe and pollen counts are high.
• Avoid breathing pollutants that can trigger shortness of breath, including secondhand smoke, traffic fumes, smog, aerosol sprays, and vapors from products, such as paint, kerosene and cleaning agents.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a scarf to avoid breathing in cold air in cold weather.

What to Expect

You may get sick more often when you have asbestosis. As your disease progresses, you may need to make lifestyle changes such as using oxygen therapy, attending pulmonary rehabilitation and learning to go about your daily life in a way that keeps you from feeling too short of breath.
In advanced cases of asbestosis, patients may be hospitalized to help with breathing. As with all lung diseases, it is important to discuss with your doctor how to stay as healthy as possible. If your doctor thinks there may be a point when your asbestosis will cause you to be hospitalized, they might recommend a productive conversation about palliative care options, including filling out an advance directive and taking other steps so that all of your wishes are respected.

Finding Support

Communicate regularly with your doctors about changes in your breathing and general health. The Lung Association recommends patients and caregivers join our Living with Lung Disease Support Community or Better Breathers Clubs to connect with others facing this disease. You can also call the Lung Association's Lung Helpline at 1-800-LUNGUSA to talk to a trained respiratory professional who can help answer your questions and connect you with additional support. Learn More 
Source: https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asbestosis