Asbestosis

Asbestosis is an inflammatory lung condition which causes coughing, shortness of breath, and long term scarring of the lung tissue, which results in difficulty breathing.  Asbestosis is a progressive lung disease.  Since symptoms of the disease do not appear for many years after exposure to asbestos, asbestos fibers have already done irreversible damage to the lungs often by the time of discovery.  Those who develop asbestosis from exposure to asbestos fibers will continue to be affected by the disease for the remainder of their lives.
Asbestos is the name of a group of minerals which contain microscopic fibers.  These fibers are resistant to fire and heat as well as chemicals.  Additionally, they do not conduct electricity.  Asbestos is obtained through mining.  It has been traditionally used in the building industry, especially in ceilings and flooring, in the military, in ship building and construction of barracks, in the automotive industry, etc.
When products which contain asbestos are disturbed, as in the process of asbestos removal, tiny fibers are released into the air which, when inhaled, can become trapped in the tissue of the lining of the lungs, remaining there for years.  As these asbestos fibers accumulate in the lungs, over time they may lead to serious health problems including asbestosis and/or mesothelioma.  Other lung problems may accrue such as pleural plaques or changes in the pleura (the membranes surrounding the lungs).  These membranes may also become thickened and pleural effusions (collections of fluid) can form between the inside chest wall and the lungs.
Further studies have pointed to an association between exposure to asbestos fibers and other cancers such as throat, kidney, bladder, voice box, gallbladder cancers, and cancer of the gastrointestinal tract.
One group at risk of developing asbestos related diseases like asbestosis or mesothelioma is made up of workers involved in the cleanup in the aftermath of the September 11th attack on the World Trade Center in New York City.  Hundreds of tons of asbestos were released into the air during and after the attack since asbestos was used heavily in the construction of the North Tower.
Approximately ten thousand deaths occur each year in the U.S. as a result of exposure to asbestos fibers.  For every ten thousand people living in this country, four of those individuals will succumb to asbestosis.

• People who work or have worked in the automobile manufacturing industry. Assembly workers and brake and clutch manufacturing workers are especially at risk
• Automobile mechanics who work or have in the past worked extensively doing brakes and clutch repairs
• Textile mill workers who made gloves and other protective clothing and thereby came into contact with asbestos fibers woven into cloth
• Military personnel—especially U.S. Navy members who worked on ships or lived inside barracks which were constructed using asbestos
• Workers at shipyards on deep water ports on the Atlantic, Pacific, and Gulf Coasts
• Construction workers involved in asbestos removal or in the demolition of structures built in the time frame of the 1930’s to the late 1970’s before asbestos was widely known as a disease producing health hazard
• Electrical technicians who may have come into direct contact with asbestos fibers used as wiring insulation
• Pipefitters
• Workers at gasket manufacturing plants
• People who worked in factories where insulation was manufactured
• Railroad employees, refinery workers, and warehouse employees

Asbestos has been prized for its insulation properties and fire resistance for many years.  It has been mined and used in manufacturing since the nineteenth century.  It has been used in a variety of products including clutch pads, brake shoes, building materials, tiles used in ceilings and in floors, coatings, adhesives, etc.
Asbestos was used extensively from the 1930’s through the late 1970’s.  These were years when manufacturing plants were booming, as was ship building and construction of military bases.  The U.S. was involved in World War II, the Korean War, and The Viet Nam War during that particular time frame, so military personnel, especially those in the Navy and in the Marines, came in contact with asbestos fibers which latently caused asbestosis or mesothelioma.
Whether or not an individual contracts one of the diseases caused by exposure to asbestos is determined by the length of time exposed, the amount of asbestos the individual was exposed to, the actual size of the asbestos fibers involved in the exposure, as well as the presence of other lung diseases brought on by such activities as smoking or breathing in coal dust from working in underground or surface coal mines.
Unfortunately most who have been exposed to asbestos fibers will not know they have a disease until fifteen or more years after initial exposure.  This is true of the condition asbestosis.  Mesothelioma may take as long as thirty years to develop.

• Shortness of breath
• Tightness in the chest
• Persistent and productive cough with evidence of mucus
• Pain in the chest area
• A crackling sound in the lungs while breathing in
• Loss of enjoyment of eating
• Rounding or clubbing of the finger tips and nails causing deformity

Since many diseases and medical conditions share this same set of symptoms, it is extremely important that individuals report these symptoms to their doctors in order to be further tested in order to determine whether they have contracted asbestosis or another asbestos related disease.
Diagnosis of asbestosis begins with the work-up of a medical history including history of employment in job settings where asbestos might have been present, history of military service, etc. If individuals have potential exposure to asbestos fibers in their history, they should inform their doctors of this fact immediately. The doctor will perform a physical examination and will in addition to a patient’s history of asbestos exposure, ask about other medical problems/conditions patients have had in the past.
The following tests may be ordered:

• Tests which measure the function of the lungs
• X-rays—especially of the chest but also of the abdomen
• MRI’s
• CT Scans
• Biopsy – in order to confirm or deny the diagnosis of asbestosis (A biopsy may result in the discovery of microscopic asbestos fibers in the tissues of the lungs or the covering of the lungs)
• Bronchoscopy—use of a bronchoscope, a long, thin, lighted tube, which is inserted through the mouth and down into the lung enabling examination of the lung and air passages
• Thoraccentesis—Use of a needle to extract fluid from the chest cavity for examination
• Peritoneoscopy—A small incision into the abdomen is made and a peritoneoscope is inserted.
• Thoracoscopy—A thin, lighted thorascope is inserted into the chest between two ribs, allowing the physician to see inside the chest as well as take tissue samples.

An individual’s prognosis depends on the length of time he or she has had the disease and its progression. Unfortunately, for some patients, asbestosis may lead to other complications and diseases. Some may develop mesothelioma or pleural effusion for example, and contracting mesothelioma will diminish patients’ chances for recovery/survival.