Asbestosis and Other Asbestos Related Ailments
While mesotheileoma is the most commonly known illness related to asbestos, there are a number of other ailments and conditions that result from asbestos exposure. Most of them are debilitating to one degree or another, and many of them are fatal over time.
Asbestosis
Like mesotheileoma, asbestosis is known to be caused by exposure to asbestos fibers in the air. Asbestosis results when airborne asbestos fibers are inhaled and lodge in the lungs. The tiny, sharp fibers irritate the lung tissues which respond by building up scar tissue. The scar tissue is more rigid than regular lung tissue, and cannot perform the same functions that normal lung cells do. The end result is areas of the lungs that cannot inflate and deflate when you breathe.
Asbestosis is a progressive, debilitating disease. In its earliest stages, asbestosis may be completely asymptomatic. It is only as the disease progresses that the symptoms become more evident. Asbestosis causes shortness of breath, a dry, persistent cough and chronic chest pain. In advanced cases of asbestosis, the ends of your fingers may be clubbed. In most cases, asbestosis stops progressing once the exposure to asbestos stops, but there are cases where the scarring and fibrosis continues to worsen.
Asbestosis can also lead to further complications with your lungs. Those complications include pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in your lungs), heart problems, lung cancer and other lung damage that reduces your capacity to breathe. In addition, people with asbestosis are far more likely to eventually develop mesotheileoma or lung cancer than those who have no signs of mesotheileoma.
Pleural Plaques
Pleural plaques are bundles of fibrous tissues that form on the pleura, the lining of the lungs. They are the most benign form of asbestos-related lung disease and sometimes cause few symptoms. However, extensive pleural plaques can lead to stiffness of the lung tissues and make breathing difficult. Many of the people who develop pleural plaques do not develop any other asbestos-related diseases. However, most people who have asbestosis and mesotheileoma also have pleural plaques.
Pleural Effusion
Pleural effusions are usually the first indication of asbestos-related lung damage. Effusion is the collection of fluids between the layers of the pleura. It often appears for the first time about ten years after the first exposure to asbestos, and may resolve itself without treatment. It is likely to recur, however.
Diffuse Pleural Thickening
The thickening of the pleural lining often appears after pleural effusion is resolved. It may cause chest pain, shortness of breath and chronic coughing. It is not necessarily indicative of asbestos exposure or asbestos-related disease, but it often accompanies other asbestos-related diseases.
Lung Cancer
People who were exposed to asbestos on a regular basis have a much higher rate of lung cancer than those who were never exposed to asbestos. In addition, those who were exposed to asbestos and are smokers face a risk of malignant lung cancer that is hundreds of times higher than those who were never exposed to asbestos and don’t smoke. Because lung cancer can be caused by many different things, including smoking, it is much more difficult to prove that asbestos exposure was a contributing cause to lung cancer, especially if the patient is a smoker or an ex-smoker. It is commonly accepted, however, that exposure to asbestos significantly increases the risk of developing lung cancer.
Other Asbestos Related Cancers
Asbestos has also been implicated in a number of other cancers. Those who have been exposed to asbestos in the workplace and other places have a significantly higher rate of cancer of the liver, prostate cancer, cancer of the throat, cancer of the esophagus and cancer of the reproductive organs. It is believed that the tiny, thin asbestos fibers are carried throughout the body in the blood and lymphatic system and may lodge in other organs where they cause damage to the tissues.
Asbestos related diseases were preventable. If the makers of asbestos-containing products had responsibly warned workers and the public about the dangers associated with asbestos exposure, most cases of asbestos-related diseases could have been prevented. If you or a loved one has a history of asbestos exposure and presents symptoms of any lung-related condition, it is important that your doctor be aware of the asbestos exposure history.
