About Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a lung condition, often referred to as a "diffuse pulmonary fibrosis" which results from the inhalation of asbestos fibers. It is one of a number of diseases categorized as occupational lung disease or environmental lung disease. A unique aspect of asbestosis that distinguishes it from other fibrotic diseases (such as silicosis) is the presence of asbestos bodies and fibers in the lung tissue. Additionally, asbestos bodies and fibers have been detected in small numbers beyond the lung: in tonsils, thoracic and abdominal lymph nodes, pleura, peritoneum, liver, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, small and large intestines, esophagus and stomach.

How did I get Asbestosis?

Typically, asbestos particles are inhaled into the lungs by exposed individuals in large quantities. The body's defense mechanisms respond to asbestos fibers by attacking them, which forms the characteristic fibrosis which can often be detected with an x-ray or CT Scan. Asbestosis is a disease process which is progressive and irreversible in nature. It typically leads to subsequent respiratory disability. In the most severe cases, asbestosis may lead to death from pulmonary hypertension and cardiac failure.

Asbestosis is generally considered to be a restrictive lung disease. The fibrosis which forms reduces the lung's ability to expand and exchange oxygen (distensibility). This "stiff lung" condition reduces all volumes and capacities of the lungs. A person with asbestosis tends to breathe more rapidly as a compensatory reaction to his or her diminished lung capacity.

Symptoms of Asbestosis

• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
     -rarely occurs before a decade of exposure
     -appears first only upon exertion and subsequently occurs at rest

• Dry cough
     -dry and troublesome cough, perhaps associated with chest pain

• X-Ray changes
     -generally beginning with irregular opacities at the bases of the lungs, perhaps extending into the upper zones gradually

• Pulmonary function deficiencies
     -typically a pulmonary function test reveals a restrictive lung disease pattern
     -there may be a pulmonary function loss before x-ray changes become evident

Other more advanced symptoms of this disease include clubbing of the fingers (increased thickness of the digits and curvature of the nails) and cor pulmonale. Medical monitoring for radiologic changes is key, as persons with asbestosis have an increased risk of developing a malignancy.