Symptoms related to asbestos disease

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Symptoms related to asbestos disease

Symptoms of asbestosis

Asbestosis is a type of pulmonary fibrosis caused by exposure to asbestos which is characterized by excess connective tissue in the lungs. Because this disease manifests in the lungs, common asbestosis symptoms include respiratory problems such as coughing, swelling in the neck or face, sounds of rupture during breathing, or difficulty swallowing.

Asbestosis is a form of fibrosis that develops for a long time after exposure to asbestos fibers. Over time, scar tissue replaces normal lung tissue. Excessive amount of scar tissue can cause reduced lung function.

During exposure, asbestos fibers are inhaled, and they can nest in lung tissue. The sharp and straight form of fiber makes them difficult to remove and expel the body. After being in the body for a long time, fiber causes irritation, inflammation and scarring, which causes symptoms that mainly affect the lungs.

In most asbestosis patients, symptoms occur within 20 to 30 years after exposure to asbestos. If a person is exposed to asbestos for a long time, a decade or more, the latency period of development of symptoms is shorter: close to 20 years.

Common Asbestosis Symptoms

Although the severity and frequency of symptoms can vary among patients at the time of diagnosis, the most common asbestosis symptoms include:

- swelling in the neck or face

- difficulty swallowing

- high blood pressure

- blood in phlegm

- Sounds crackling while breathing

- hard to breathe

- hyper tension

- finger abnormalities

- weight loss / appetite

Many of these symptoms can also be associated with pleural mesothelioma, the most common type of mesothelioma. Other conditions that show symptoms similar to asbestosis include lung cancer and pneumonia.

What are the Causes of Symptoms?

Lung scarring, or fibrosis, is the direct cause for cough and shortness of breath symptoms most often associated with asbestosis.

When the lungs become scarred and inflamed over time, their ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide decreases, resulting in a decrease in lung function and subsequent fatigue in patients. At the next stage of asbestosis, the amount of stress that occurs in the lungs and heart due to lack of proper oxygen can cause serious lung and / or heart failure.

Shortness of breath arises due to thickening of the chest cavity, thickening of the lining of the lungs, which is caused by the presence of old asbestos fibers, or pleural effusion, fluid buildup between the chest wall and lungs. Effusion can be caused by many conditions (pneumonia, lupus, congestive heart failure) and can come from pneumonia. Thickening and effusion narrows the movement of the lungs and eventually the heart. At that time, no organ expands or contracts properly, which causes shortness of breath and increased fluid.

Asbestosis can move the cycle of conditions. This disease prevents the lungs from fully oxygenating the blood, forcing the heart to work harder. When the heart works harder, blood pressure increases. When blood pressure increases, fluid builds up around the heart and lungs, which can cause swelling in the neck and face, which in turn can cause difficulty swallowing.

Fluid can also accumulate in the stomach, causing bloating or tenderness, which can cause loss of appetite and potential for weight loss. In advanced cases, fluid retention, if left untreated, will cause finger abnormalities, known as clubbing.

Symptoms related to asbestos disease clydesideaciononasbestos.org.uk

Relieve Asbestosis Symptoms

Although there is no cure for asbestosis, doctors recommend several treatment options to relieve symptoms, and there are some lifestyle and dietary changes and patients can do to feel better. Several drugs are available to help cough and pain. Other treatments include the use of inhalers, supplemental oxygen and antibiotics.

Lung Rehabilitation

Pulmonary rehabilitation is another option. Used in conjunction with medical care, pulmonary rehabilitation is considered a long-term approach to help patients, who are taught new breathing strategies; smarter training techniques; and ways to manage stress. Pulmonary rehabilitation can also increase energy levels, strengthen exercise performance, and improve overall survival and quality of life.

Palliative care

Because coughing and shortness of breath are the most common symptoms of asbestosis, palliative treatment often aims to reduce these symptoms. Pleural effusion which causes many symptoms experienced by people with asbestosis, can be treated using two non-invasive surgeries, thoracentesis and pleurodesis.

Lung Transplant

In cases of severe asbestosis, doctors can recommend a lung transplant. This operation is usually performed when the patient has several other conditions, such as lung cancer. The one-year survival rate for lung transplant patients is around 80 percent, but aggressive surgery is often seen as a last-choice treatment.

Lifestyle Adjustment

To help alleviate some symptoms, patients can change their lifestyle by stopping smoking or reducing the amount of daily physical activity. Some adjustments in the diet can also help, especially at the beginning of the diagnostic process. Slippery elm bark, an herbal supplement, is a natural treatment for coughs and sore throats, and astragalus plays an important role in Chinese medicine to treat respiratory function.

Asbestos related diseases

When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they may remain deep in the lungs. They can nest in the lung tissue and cause inflammation, scarring, and some more serious asbestos-related diseases, which usually take years, if not decades, to develop.

Four major diseases related to asbestos are shown to be opposite in increasing severity. A person can show signs of more than one of these diseases.

Symptoms related to asbestos disease blf.org.uk

Pleural plaques

the area of ​​white scar tissue, smooth, lifts up on the outer layer of the lungs, inner chest wall and diaphragm

often the initial signs of asbestos exposure

not all people who are exposed to asbestos develop plaque, probably because of differences in their immune response to asbestos fibers.

people with pleural plaque as their only asbestosrelated symptom usually have little damage to lung function

Asbestosis

a chronic condition caused by inflammation or scarring in the lungs

causing shortness of breath, coughing and permanent lung damage

caused by heavy and prolonged exposure to asbestos

Lung cancer

cancerous tumors that mainly occur in the lining of the tube leading to the lungs, smaller airways or the middle part of the lungs

the risk of developing lung cancer increases in people who also smoke or have a pre-existing lung disease

Mesothelioma

a rare form of cancer from the tissue that lines the body cavity, specifically the chest and abdomen

in Australia, about 90% of all mesothelioma patients have a significant history of asbestos exposure.

3 Asbestos Related Diseases

Do you work in one of the blue-collar trades listed on our website? If so, you could be at risk of developing fatal asbestos-related illnesses due to exposure in the workplace. Throughout the twentieth century, workers have been exposed to a number of dangerous asbestos while working.

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Given that the latent period of asbestos-related illnesses can take years or decades, it is not surprising that retired workers and workers are diagnosed today. Have you ever been diagnosed with one of these three asbestos-related diseases?

Mesothelioma

Mesothelioma is a rare cancer caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. Cancer can develop in the lungs, heart, stomach and other body parts. After being diagnosed, a victim usually has six months to two years to live.

Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a respiratory condition caused by asbestos fibers trapped in the body. Over time, the area where the fibers are trapped can become inflamed and cause scar tissue to form. Finally, the victim's ability to breathe is affected.

Lung cancer

Many people think that the only cause of lung cancer is smoking tobacco. This is not true. The risk for the diagnosis of lung cancer can increase with asbestos exposure.