Asbestosis Symptoms

Asbestos - 'the magical mineral' has been used world-wide as a protective material. However since the early 1900's it became known it presented a clear risk to health.

From exposure a sufferer may be diagnosed with a number of associated asbestos related diseases.
Pleural Plaques, Pleural Thickening, Asbestosis, Lung Cancer and the fatal Mesothelioma.
All present differing symptoms.

Let us take a closer look at Asbestosis

Typically Asbestosis does not tend to show symptoms for many years, often between 25 and 40 years from exposure. The main symptom is difficulty breathing namely a shortness of breath, initially on exertion but later even at rest. Others symptoms may include tiredness, a cough, chest tightness and chest pain.
A less common symptom results in the ends of fingers becoming swollen, misshaped and red due to a fluid build-up, a condition known as finger clubbing.

Diagnosing Asbestosis

Generally a GP will ask a patient about their symptoms including listening to the lungs using a stethoscope. If lungs have been damages by asbestos they will make a distinctive cracking noise. Following, the GP will ask about work history and may well suspect asbestos exposure at this point. Additional testing will help to confirm Asbestosis and include:

Spirometer - used to test how efficient lungs work
X Ray - to detect abnormality in the lung and lining of the lung
CT Scan - offers more detail than x ray
Treatment of Asbestosis consists of four main areas:

Quit smoking if a smoker.
Vaccination against dangerous conditions, such as flu.
Medicines to assist breathing.
Equipment, again to assist breathing, particularly oxygen masks, ventilators etc.
Life expectancy of an Asbestosis sufferer

Life expectancy depends much on whether or not the patient develops a more serious asbestos related disease such as Mesothelioma. It is possible for patients diagnosed with asbestosis to die prematurely, but if the disease mutates into a cancer such as Mesothelioma, a patient's life expectancy is decreased dramatically. Complications that reduce life expectancy for an asbestosis sufferer include:

Asthma
Pneumonia
Heart Disease
Diabetes
In some patients the effect of the disease causes only mild symptoms, whereas in other patients the disease reduces the flow of oxygen which can be fatal in some cases.

In the UK asbestos related diseases are due to peak around 2015 with over 2000 fatalities a year.

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10 Things You Need to Know About Asbestosis

If you've heard the term asbestosis, but don't know what it is, then here's what you need to know.

1. Asbestosis is a respiratory illness that affects the lungs. It's not always obvious, as the symptoms are similar to aging, and being overweight.

2. It can take around 15 - 20 years for asbestosis to develop, and so it's affecting many older people, who may think that their symptoms are just a sign that they are getting old.

3. Most foreign objects that are breathed in are broken down by microphages, before they reach the lungs. Unfortunately, asbestos can't be broken down easily. The method the microphages use to break down asbestos, causes damage to the alveoli, which then leads to breathing problems, as the lungs are damaged.

4. Early symptoms of asbestos include generally feeling unwell, and out of sorts. You might be short of breath after light exercise. You might also have a dry cough too.

5. As the disease progresses, you might be even more short of breath, and start to have chest pains. Another sign of asbestosis is you're your fingers start to deform, which indicates that oxygen isn't being exchanged efficiently in the blood.

6. The advanced stage of asbestosis includes lots more chest pain. You'll have problems sleeping due to the pain, and being unable to breathe properly. You might need to be reclined in order to breathe. Your hands and feet might start to swell. You might also start coughing up blood. If you are, or were, a smoker, then you might think that your condition is due to smoking.

7. If you have been diagnosed with asbestosis, then it can usually be kept under control. You'll want to be able to retain some of your independence, and carry on with your life as normal, if you can.

8. Asbestos can also lead to other serious illnesses, such as mesothelioma and cancer. These can prove fatal, and so it's important to seek medical advice if you think that you might have been exposed to asbestos.

9. Asbestos was used in many work and home environments from around 1900 to the 1970s. It affects all sorts of workers, such as shipyard workers, gas fitters, electricians, carpenters, and even those who lived near asbestos factories, or washed the overalls of those workers.

10. If you're suffering from asbestosis, then you can claim compensation. It involves providing a lot of medical and personal information, and you'll need a dedicated firm of asbestos solicitors,rather than normal accident claim solicitors to help you.

Now you know more about asbestosis, and what it can do, if you think you've been exposed to it, or are already suffering, why not see if you could claim compensation from an asbestosis lawyer?

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Asbestosis or Asbestos Mesothelioma Cancer

Asbestosis is a type of lung condition caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Asbestos is a flame retardant material developed for a variety of purposes and used primarily in the construction industry, as well as any other business which involves potential exposure to fire hazards. Asbestos is a fibrous material, and physical degradation over time causes it to fragment into microscopic fibers. The inhalation of these asbestos fibers causes the particles to lodge in the lungs, causing the sickness known as Asbestosis.

The main problems that stem from asbestosis are the development of scar tissue in the lungs and, worse still, the development of a form of lung cancer known as mesothelomia. In the first case, the presence of asbestos fibers cause scratches in the lung sacs which eventually lead to internal bleeding and scarring, making breathing difficult and the lungs susceptible to other disorders. In the second case, the fibers cause tumors in the lungs and these in turn become cancerous growths which cause an excessive buildup of fluids in the lungs and the chest cavity lining. Both cases can, if left untreated, be fatal.

Symptoms

The common symptoms of asbestos mesothelioma or asbestosis are difficulty breathing, where the air flow feels raspy and harsh. The efficiency of the lungs is also compromised by the asbestos particles, leading to a severe drop in stamina. These symptoms can easily be misaken for any number of less hazardous ailments, including simply being out of shape or growing old. An x ray, however, will be sufficient to reveal if asbestos fibers have indeed lodged in the lungs.

The symptoms of mesothelioma, however, are similar to the above but also include sharp chest pains or numbness in the chest area, and the difficulty breathing also includes a "liquid" or "phlegmy" feeling caused by the buildup of excess liquid in the lungs and lining. Again, and x ray will be able to reveal the presence of any cancerous tumors in the lungs brought on by asbestos fibers.

Effects

The effects of both asbestosis and mesothelioma are ultimately fatal if left untreated. Asbestosis will lead eventually to a clogging of the lung sacs from the build up of scar tissue, and worst case scenario will cause pulmonary emboli, the development of blood clots in the lungs. These have been known to spread through the blood into the heart, causing cardiac arrest.

Mesothelioma, on the other hand, is a cancer, and in and of itself is fatal because of the cell degradation it causes in the lung and heart areas. Internal hemmorhaging is one known result of untreated mesothelioma, and another is the clogging og the cardiovascular system from the general buildup of fluids in the chest cavity and lining caused by the body's failed attempts to fight the tumors.

Treatment

Treating asbestosis or asbestos mesothelioma is still a fairly simple procedure compared to mesothelioma. Since the problem with asbestosis is primarily due to the scar tissue and asbestos fibers, surgery can still treat this problem. However, if the lung condition has worsened to mesothelioma, chemotherapy is required to alleviate the problem. Simple surgery for mesothelioma has proven unsuccessful, and often the afflicted patients only have a 5 year lifespan post operation.

The most effective treatment to date for mesothelioma involves a combination of laser surgery and chemotherapy. The heat of a laser as opposed to a regular scalpel helps to burn out the tumors without causing any damage to the surrounding tissue, and the heat also makes the targeted areas more receptive to the medicines employed in the actual chemotherapy. This particular combination has shown the highest treatment success rate for mesothelioma.

Avoidance/Safety Tips

The best way to avoid asbestosis and mesothelioma is to avoid areas with high asbestos concentration. This not only involves people who work in industrial settings, but even other people are prone to it if they live in or near a building which uses asbestos heavily in it's construction materials. Some old houses and facilities used to employ asbestos as part of their foundations in an effort to add an element of fire proofing.

If exposure to asbestos cannot be avoided, then it is advised that people wear filtered face masks to keep the fibers out when they are in the vicinity of asbestos. Also, asbestos fibers can cling to the skin and clothes, so bathing and washing clothes completely after exposure is also advised as a way to avoid contracting asbestosis and mesothelioma.

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