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Chronic Inflammation of the Lungs
Asbestosis is a chronic inflammatory medical condition affecting the parenchymal tissue of the lungs. It occurs after long-term, heavy exposure to asbestos (e.g. mining). Sufferers have severe dyspnea (shortness of breath) and are at increased risk regarding several different types of lung cancer.
The effects of long-term exposure to asbestos typically do not show up for at least 20 to 30 years after initial exposure. Signs and symptoms develop when damage and scarring caused by the asbestos fibers lead to stiffness in the lung tissue so that the lungs can’t contract and expand normally (a form of pulmonary fibrosis). Once exposure to fibrosis has stopped, the condition does not worsen.
Shortness of Breath
Decreased tolerance for physical activity
Coughing
Chest Pain
Finger Clubbing in some cases
Although most of these signs and symptoms are similar to other breathing disorders such as asthma, the way in which they develop is different. In the case of asbestosis, the effects of this condition are insidious, occurring over months and years.
When you inhale, air travels through your nose or mouth, down your throat through your larynx to your trachea-the main passageway to the lungs. Your trachea splits into two branches called bronchi to each lung. Within each lung, bronchi branch off into progressively smaller airways (bronchioles) which lead to smaller alveolar ducts, which lead to microscopic air sacs called alveoli.
Alveoli have very thin elastic walls that allow an exchange of gases vital to your health. Oxygen flows from the alveoli into the bloodstream to nourish the body. Carbon dioxide flows from our bloodstream into the alveoli and continues out through the bronchi to be expelled as you exhale
Normally, microorganisms, dust and foreign particles in the air you breathe are removed by microscopic hairs on the surface of your airways that beat hundreds of times per minute (cilia). The cilia then sweep the particles into the upper airway whereby they are either trapped in your nose where they are expelled when you cough or swallowed into your digestive system.
Any unwanted particles that do get trapped in the lungs are usually broken down by the body’s own immune defense cells called macrophages. These cells patrol for foreign substances and usually attract and break down substances such as chemicals, smoke and dust particles.
These tests determine how well your lungs are functioning and may help in the diagnosis of this condition. How much air your lungs can hold and the volume of flowing air into and out of the lungs is measured. For example, you may be asked to blow as hard as you can into an air-measurement device called a spirometer. Some exams can also quantify the amount of gases exchanged at the alveolar level of the capillary blood vessels.
This exam can detect abnormalities within the lungs. On an x-ray, areas of scar tissue that appear as small, scattered, opaque areas on the lining of the lungs are called pleural plaques. Although they indicate previous exposure to asbestos, they do not predict the likelihood of developing asbestosis or malignant mesothelioma, a cancer that occurs in the tissue surrounding the lungs. On a chest x-ray, Asbestosis appears as excessive whiteness in the lung tissue. If this condition is in advanced stages, it also has the appearance of that of a honeycomb.
In some cases, your doctor may advise you of getting a computerized tomography (CT) scan. These provide more detail than a chest x-ray in general and may help to detect asbestosis in the early stages.
Unfortunately, asbestos fibers are difficult to destroy, even for macrophages. If many fibers are inhaled over a significant period of time, the cumulative scarring of alveoli tissue decreases the ability to exchange vital gases (oxygen and carbon dioxide), resulting in diminished lung capacity and labored breathing due to shortness of breath, ultimately exaggerating the symptoms of this debilitating lung disease.