Medical facts on allergies, symptoms and diseases!
Asbestos diseases
Asbestos diseases are caused by inhaling asbestos dust,
a mineral commonly used in the construction industry until the seventees.
The main diseases caused by asbestos inhalation are asbestosis -
the scarring of lung tissue, lung cancer, mesothelioma
(cancer of the lining of the chest and lungs) and pleural disease.
These asbestos diseases cause impairment
of pulmonary function, including small airway obstruction,
a reduction in lung capacity, breathing restriction, and a
reduction in the ability to transfer oxygen from air into the blood.
Those infected are mainly construction workers, plumbers and shipyard workers, but teachers,
children, and nurses are believed to have been put at risk since
asbestos was used in the construction of several schools and hospitals.
Families of those who work with asbestos can also be infected if
asbestos particles are brought into the homes..
What are the symptoms?
It can take up to 40 years for symptoms to show. Common symptoms are:
- Persistent cough.
- Shortness of breath.
- Chest pain
- Chest tightness
- Nail abnormalities
- Appetite loss
- Fitful sleep
- General ill feeling
- Thickening of the fingers and toes
What is the treatment?
Unfortunatly, there is no cure for asbestos diseases. The severity depends
on the length of exposure and amount of asbestos dust inhaled. Early identification
through chest x-ray can prevent further exposure, and worsening of conditions.
People who develop mesothelioma have a particularly bad prognosis.
Around 75% die within one year of diagnosis. Mesothelioma can take
between 20 and 40 years to develop after exposure to asbestos dust.
Other cancers related to asbestos include lung cancer
(worsened by cigarette smoking), and cancers of the oesophagus,
colon, stomach and rectum.
People with pleural diseases can have their lungs drained at
intervals to relieve the build-up of fluid.
Some people with asbestos diseases may need oxygen masks to
help them breathe. Asbestosis, for example, leads to a
thickening of the lower part of the lungs, making them
less elastic consequently causing breathing problems.
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