Serious Symptoms Of Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a lung disease that develops when asbestos fibers produce the development of fibrous tissues within the lungs. These fibrous tissues or scar tissues cause disruption in the patient's ability to breathe and the exchange of carbon dioxide for oxygen. Asbestosis can also be referred to as interstitial pneumonitis and pulmonary fibrosis. The most prevalent cause of asbestosis is exposure in the workplace before 1980. Diagnosis of asbestosis is made with the use of a physical examination, x-rays, CT scans, lung function tests, and lung biopsy. There is no way to cure asbestosis, but symptoms can be reduced or controlled with the use of treatments like medication prescription inhalers, quitting smoking, supplemental oxygen, and a lung transplant for severe cases.
Several serious symptoms manifest in asbestosis. Get familiar with them now
Chest Pain
Asbestos is a mineral dust utilized as a material to insulate different structures and objects. When an individual inhales large quantities of asbestos regularly over many years, their lungs try to eliminate the foreign substance. The mechanism the lungs use to eliminate foreign substances is mediated by the immune system in the body. The immune system reacts in the individual's lung tissues and causes widespread and severe inflammation that damages the tissues. The lungs attempt to heal themselves using dense fibrous scar tissue, which eventually produces the symptoms of asbestosis. An affected individual may describe feeling chest pain accompanied by an abnormal feeling of tightness in their chest. An individual who experiences persistent cough may experience chest pain from muscle soreness in the area as well.
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Persistent Cough
An individual affected by a persistent cough who has been exposed to asbestos regularly in the past may be affected by asbestosis. The cough associated with asbestosis is described as a dry cough that does not produce any fluids or phlegm. A persistent dry cough is caused by the scar tissue that develops in the lungs that can cause the nearby nerve fibers and other sensory structures to become irritated and trigger the coughing mechanism. The lungs use coughing as a way to attempt to expel foreign or harmful substances from the lungs and body. A patient can also develop a condition where the pleura become too thick and also cause them to cough persistently. The pleura tend to become thickened due to an excess amount of fluid trapped between them due to asbestosis. This pleura thickening can cause a patient to experience frequent coughing fits due to the lung irritation it causes.
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Shortness Of Breath
Shortness of breath describes when an individual feels they cannot take in enough air to catch their breath, or fill up their lungs with air sufficiently. This symptom develops when the individual experiences an increased thickness of the pleura. The pleura is a series of membranes that surround the lungs and line their inner chest wall. In healthy individuals, a small amount of fluid is present in the pleura to lubricate the tissues of the lungs and the chest wall. Pleural thickening is what causes an individual to experience shortness of breath. The longtime presence of the asbestos fibers in the lungs can cause the pleura to become abnormally thick, scarred, and to accumulate extra fluids. When the pleura becomes thicker than normal, the lungs are unable to expand to hold the same volume of air than they would be able to otherwise.
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Clubbing Of The Fingers And Toes
Clubbing of the fingers and toes refers to a deformity where an individual has increased nail roundness and widening of the nails. They may also exhibit an increased angle between the nails and cuticles as well as downward curving of their nails. Clubbing of the nails and toes can cause softening of the nail beds, making the nails feel as if they are floating. The tips of the toes and fingers may bulge outward or become enlarged. These structural abnormalities that develop in asbestosis patients may be accompanied by warmth and redness. Clubbing of the fingers and toes can develop in an affected individual over several years or in a matter of a few months. This symptom occurs in individuals affected by asbestosis for reasons that are currently not clear but thought to be associated with the activation of certain components in the bloodstream that produce changes in the nail bed.
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Loss Of Appetite And Weight Loss
The lungs of an individual who is exposed to asbestos regularly for a long period become damaged from the asbestos fibers that become embedded in the lung tissues. The fragile lung tissues grow around the asbestos fibers, and the patient's immune system attempts to repair the damage being done by the fibers. Scar tissue develops in the lung tissues as a result of this mechanism. Scar tissue does not function in the same way healthy lung tissues do, causing the healthy tissues of the lungs to have to work harder. When an individual has damage in their lungs, the organs can burn over ten times more calories than healthy lungs would. When an individual has a negative energy balance or burns off more calories than they are eating, they will experience weight loss. The loss of appetite and weight loss is related to the fatigue and mental health issues that can develop in some asbestosis patients.