Other Asbestos Related Diseases
with offices in Maryland - Pennsylvania - Delaware - Tennessee
In addition to Mesothelioma, exposure to asbestos causes many other serious diseases, including:
Asbestosis, also known as Interstitial Fibrosis, Pulmonary Fibrosis, or Interstitial Lung Disease
A diagnosis of asbestosis is not a diagnosis of cancer. Asbestosis is a serious, progressive, long-term disease of the lungs caused by inhaling asbestos fibers that irritate and inflame lung tissues, causing the lung tissues to scar. The scarring makes it hard to breathe and difficult for oxygen and carbon dioxide to pass through the lungs. Asbestosis can also lead to heart failure. Symptoms include increasing breathlessness often with cough, spasms, and sputum (phlegm). Symptoms may also include chest tightness, chest pain, general ill feeling, and appetite loss. Asbestosis generally progresses slowly.
Asbestosis is diagnosed by a signature sound in the lungs, known as basal crackles or rales, and by x-ray which will show specific irregularities. Diminished lung volume and flow is also noted. Sometimes clubbing of the fingers and toes can be observed. This is caused by the pooling of blood in these extremities.
The latency period for the onset of a confirmed asbestosis diagnosis is typically 10-20 years after the initial exposure. Symptoms rarely appear earlier than 10 years from exposure, and more commonly begin to manifest 20 years later, or more. The disease can vary from no symptoms or mild symptoms to disabling and potentially fatal.
Once asbestosis has been established by findings on chest X-ray, regression of the disease is rare. The disease may remain unchanged, but it is generally slowly progressive due to accumulating damage caused by asbestos fibers in the lung. Rapid progression after the onset of symptoms is rare.
As the disease progresses, the individual's shortness of breath becomes more pronounced. The shortness of breath initially experienced during heavy effort will be produced by lower levels of effort. It will eventually interfere with the ability to carry out everyday activities, and the individual may require oxygen. The end result of progression is failure of the lungs and eventual heart failure, resulting from the stress being placed on the heart.
Individuals with asbestosis are at an increased risk for developing mesothelioma, lung cancer and other cancers associated with asbestos exposure.
Asbestos Lung Cancer
Asbestos is one of the leading causes of lung cancer among nonsmokers. Cigarette smoking, in combination with asbestos exposure, greatly increases the likelihood of a person developing lung cancer. Most cases of asbestos lung cancer in workers occur 15 years or more after a person is first exposed to asbestos.
Other Cancers
Other cancers associated with asbestos exposure include: cancer of the esophagus, colon cancer, and others.
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