What is Asbestosis?
I was wanting to get a different perspective on asbestos lawsuits from an attorney in another state. Goldberg & Osborne was kid enough to share this with my California audience. Take it away guys.
Asbestosis defines a lung disease directly linked to asbestos exposure. The disorder can appear 20 years or more after someone inhales these minute, carcinogenic particles. Asbestosis develops when scar tissue forms inside the lungs, leading to pain, trouble breathing, and other health problems.
Symptoms of this disease typically include a feeling of tightness in the chest, often accompanied by pain and difficulty breathing. Patients usually develop a cough and might spit up sputum tinged with blood. They become short of breath during exercise or while performing daily tasks and might lose weight from a loss of appetite or difficult swallowing. In some people, clubbing appears on the fingers, and nails become soft and deformed from a lack of oxygen-rich blood to the extremities.
Asbestos exposure causes this disease, which usually shows up after two decades or more in people who worked in construction, auto manufacturing, mining, or shipbuilding. Until 1975 when the use of asbestos was banned because of health risks, the material was used for insulation, brake pad linings, inside pipes, and to insulate ships because it resists salt water. Many materials inside homes, including drywall, floor tiles, and attic insulation contained asbestos.
Workers involved in renovating or demolishing older homes also probably faced exposure if proper safety equipment was not provided. Tearing out building materials that contain asbestos releases tiny fibers into the air where they are inhaled. The government requires strict abatement precautions in buildings constructed before the 1970s.
The severity of asbestosis depends upon the length of exposure and the number of fibers inhaled. Most cases of the disease are linked to amphibole fibers, which are tiny, sharp, brown or blue particles that invade air sacs inside the lung. Breathing problems develop as the body’s immune system tries to rid the lungs of foreign material. This causes scarring that makes it hard to inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. A patient’s heart must work harder, which often leads to heart failure.
Medical science has not found a cure for asbestosis. Doctors usually recommend medication to thin fluid that collects in the lungs and ease pain. Some patients find tapping on the chest helps break up fluid. Eventually, patients commonly need supplemental oxygen as the condition gets worse. Smoking can increase symptoms and the risk of developing the disorder.
Many people suffering from asbestosis develop mesothelioma, a form of lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure. Most mesothelioma patients die within a year after the disease is diagnosed. A higher risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease also exists in patients with asbestosis. They face 10 times higher risk of lung cancer that people who haven’t been exposed to asbestos.
People who know they were exposed to asbestos should schedule frequent doctor visits where chest X-rays might catch the disease in the early stages. During a physical exam, doctors commonly hear a cracking sound through a stethoscope, which indicates fluid in the lungs. Tests for lung functioning can also be conducted annually. A lung biopsy represents the only way to confirm the presence of asbestos fibers in the lungs.
Goldberg & Osborne, a personal injury law firm in Phoenix, AZ, provides this material to the public only for the purpose of providing general information and is not intended as a substitute for consultation with a legal professional. Goldberg & Osborne cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies.