Asbestosis lung disease is one of the many diseases that can occur in a person who has had exposure to asbestos. The condition occurs due to the inhalation of loose fibers of asbestos that is likely to be present in an environment using asbestos. This condition usually is a result of a long term exposure to asbestos unlike other conditions like mesothelioma that can occur even with short term exposure.
What causes Asbestosis Lung Disease?
Fibers of asbestos get loosened and floats freely in the atmosphere. These fibers will enter the body through inhalation into the lungs. These fibers of asbestos that have entered the lungs will not leave the body and cannot be expelled out. Once the fibers have entered the body, they will get deposited in the lungs and other areas of the body and cause problems.
Asbestosis lung disease is the most common form of asbestosis. The fibers that have entered the lungs cause inflammation that the body tries to fight back. The resultant effect is increased fiber deposits (natural body fighting mechanism) leading to a condition known as fibrosis. This causes the stiffening of the lungs and decreased capacity of the lungs to take in air.
Another body fighting mechanism is the formation of scar in the tissues where the fibers are lodged. This scarring also reduces the flexibility of the lungs and causes reduced capacity of the lungs to take in air and supply it to the parts of the body. So, the illness presents with a picture of decreased capacity of the lungs to perform its function and causes difficulty in breathing.
Symptoms of Asbestosis Lung Disease
Asbestosis lung disease takes a very long time to develop following initial exposure to asbestos and will usually result in people who have had long term exposure to asbestos. The signs and symptoms of the condition take a long time to develop and the onset of symptoms will usually take a minimum of about 10 years from the time of initial exposure to asbestos.
As fibrosis and scarring take place, the most common symptom is difficulty in breathing and decreased ability of the lungs to take in air. This causes decreased oxygen supply to the different parts of the body leading to the presence of a bluish tinge to the skin.
Coughing may or may not be present in a person suffering from asbestosis disease. However, if it is present it is generally more so because of other causative factors rather than being directly because of exposure to asbestos.
In severe cases, the person might go in for respiratory failure and it may even be fatal.
Treatment of Asbestosis Lung Disease
Like many other conditions caused due to exposure to asbestos, this sort of disease has no known cure. Treatment is mainly confined to reducing the symptoms of respiratory problems caused due to the condition.
The difficulty in breathing and reduced oxygen supply in people with asbestosis lung disease is treated with providing oxygen therapy. The accumulated lung secretions are mobilized and eliminated by using various methods like physiotherapy, chest percussions, etc. Nebulizers or other medications might be given in order to make it easy for the secretions to be eliminated from the lungs.
Source by Cynthia S.
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