Pulmonary
- Critical Care Associates
of East Texas
Jeffrey M.
Shea, M.D., F.C.C.P.
Venkatesh Donty, M.D.
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Jeffrey M.
Shea, M.D., F.C.C.P. |
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When Asbestos Is In The Air We Breathe What is Asbestosis? Symptoms Of Asbestosis Diagnosing Asbestosis Treatment Of Asbestosis Summary Over 25 million people have been estimated to be exposed to asbestos in the past 40 years. Asbestos is a mineral that can be separated into very fine fibers. These fibers are used in a wide variety of applications because of their strength and heat resistance. They have been used in industrial, construction and consumer products. If the fibers are not completely encapsulated they break down into microscopic dust. A single fiber of asbestos magnified 1,000 times looks slightly larger than a strand of human hair. Due to their size and shape, asbestos fibers can remain suspended in the air for long periods of time, and then can be inhaled. When the asbestos fibers are inhaled they easily penetrate the tissues of the body and can remain in the body for many years.
When Asbestos Is In The Air We Breathe The asbestos fibers enter our body by breathing in. Most of the fibers, like any other dust particle, are stopped before they enter the small airways of our lungs. When you enter a dusty room or sprinkle body powder, you sneeze or cough. When this happens your expelling the mucus that contains most of the irritating substances. Since asbestos fibers are so small and thin, many of them will pass all the way down to the small airways and alveoli (air sacs). When the fibers enter the lungs, the body’s defense mechanisms try to break them down and remove them. Even after this attempt, many of the fibers remain in the body and are potential disease-causing agents. Each fiber is a foreign body. Inflammation develops as the body tries to neutralize, break down or move the sharp, irritating fibers. This is the process that leads to the development of various kinds of asbestos-related lung disease. Different kinds of asbestos fibers can be inhaled and become lodged in the lungs; some fibers seem to accumulate to a greater extent that others. The chrysotile fibers, long and curly, get stuck higher up in the lungs rather going all the way down into the small airways. The chrysotile fibers are also fragile, unstable and break up in the body within a few months and go away from the lungs into the pleura or lymph system. When the fibers are inside the body they can move around. The fibers can move from the lungs into the pleura or lymph nodes and other parts of the body. Asbestos can be swallowed. Example, when mucus and sputum that contain a lot of fibers that are swallowed, some of these fibers can stick in the intestinal tract and move from there to the lining of the abdomen.
This is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. It is not cancer. The disease process of asbestosis is not yet fully understood. It appears that asbestos fibers in the lungs cause irritation and inflammation. The body tries to neutralize these fibers in various ways, and this process leads to further inflammation and cell damage. A fibrosis or scar tissue develops in the area around the small airways and air sacs. The thickening and scarring prevents oxygen and carbon dioxide from traveling between the air sacs and the blood cells, thus breathing becomes less efficient.
Asbestosis often exists without any symptoms. The symptoms of asbestosis can include shortness of breath and coughing. When the disease progresses, the symptoms can worsen. Asbestosis can be a progressive disease even after exposure to asbestos has stopped. Asbestosis affects both lungs, mainly in the lower parts of the lung and is usually widespread. The more serious asbestosis is caused by heavy exposure to asbestos, sustained exposure over a period of years (textile plants) or intense exposure for a shorter period of time (boiler or engine rooms of ships in WWII). It doesn’t mean that everyone who was heavily exposed to asbestos gets asbestosis, only that everyone who gets asbestosis was exposed to large amounts of asbestos fibers.
The diagnosis of asbestosis is made when there is a history of asbestos exposure and positive results from a clinical exam. There is a well-defined latency period of approximately 20 years or more between the initial exposure to asbestos and the development of asbestos related calcification and scarring. Asbestosis can be diagnosed by the following tests:
There is no cure for asbestosis. A patient needs to have regular check-ups with their doctor to follow the disease process and treat accordingly. Presently steroids can be attempted to treat the inflammation. In the very most severe cases of asbestosis there are lung and heart and lung transplants. Asbestosis increases the risk of the development of lung cancer 5 fold, however, if a smoker has asbestosis, the risk is increased 92 fold !!
Today asbestos is no longer being used in industry or construction. Always see your doctor for signs and symptoms (coughing, shortness of breath) or if you have had exposure to asbestos and are not yet experiencing any of the symptoms. With a complete history, physical and diagnostic exam you can detect asbestosis and rule out any other lung diseases and treat accordingly.
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