What Causes Asbestosis?

Since the early 1930s, it has been shown that various groups knew of the inherent dangers of dealing with asbestos. There is some evidence that suggests even the ancient Greeks and Romans knew of the health problems. Unfortunately, the knowledge that asbestos could cause diseases like asbestosis did not become widespread until the 1970s. Asbestosis is one of two deadly diseases that has been linked directly to long-term exposure to asbestos.

Asbestosis is a chronic lung ailment that is indicated by swelling within the lungs including in the alveoli and other air-carrying portions of the lung. This inflammation makes it difficult for the afflicted person to breath. Like many diseases, if it is left untreated, asbestosis will progress and lead to eventual respiratory failure.

In addition to the potential for respiratory failure, asbestosis leaves an affected individual at a greater risk for the lung cancer mesothelioma. This is because the same tiny asbestos fibers that lead to the scarring that cause asbestosis also are the cause of mesothelioma.

Asbestos is a tiny microscopic fiber that is found in a variety of places in older homes and office buildings. In addition, there are any number of mines where workers can be exposed to the fiber. The mines are a problem because the workers are frequently not required to wear masks and other items that would adequately protect their lungs from the fibers.

Once the fibers are in a person's body, many are removed by the body's defense system. Unfortunately, some of the fibers are always left behind. These fibers irritate the tissue of the lungs or the stomach or wherever they end up which causes the body to attempt to remove the fibers through destroying cells. When the body destroys cells, new cells form in their places but as scar tissue. This scar tissue takes years to build up in a person's body. By the time the disease is detected, it is frequently too late to fix the problem.

Because it takes so long for scar tissue to build up, asbestosis does not make itself known within a person's body for decades. This means that a person who worked in a mine one year of his or her life might not experience symptoms of asbestosis for twenty or thirty years.

Asbestosis is not curable but only treatable. Treatment focuses on relieving discomfort and preventing the progression of the disease.