Asbestos - Asbestosis is a serious, long-term lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos dust over a prolonged period. The changes in the lung occur slowly and may take 20 years to develop. The lung tissue becomes thickened and scarred. This gradually reduces the ease with which oxygen can get from the atmosphere into the blood and the waste gas carbon dioxide can be breathed out.People who are exposed in this way and who also smoke cigarettes are likely to develop cancer of the lung.

Symptoms

The main symptoms are increasing breathlessness, coughing and a feeling of tightness in the chest. Asbestosis may so damage the function of the lungs that the condition progresses to respiratory (breathing) failure. At this stage the oxygen supply to the body is so poor that the patient is continuously breathless and has blue-tinged skin (cyanosis) even when at rest in bed. Once the disease reaches that stage, exertion of any kind is impossible and death from the disease is inevitable.

Causes

Asbestos contains fibres of mineral silicates. These are extremely irritating to the tissues of the lungs and cause the development of widespread fine scarring. Although many years of exposure are usually necessary to develop the disease, heavy exposure to asbestos in people who smoke heavily can result in lung cancer in a period as short as six months to two years. The mineral in asbestos thought to be most dangerous in this respect is crocidolite.