What is asbestos

Asbestos refers to a group of naturally occurring, fibrous minerals that occurs in rock and soil ¹. Asbestos is composed of very fine crystals that can be inhaled and penetrate the smallest of airways. Asbestos irritate lung tissue and cannot be cleared by the lungs. Asbestos was once widely used in building as insulation and fireproofing, and in textiles and other consumer products. Research shows asbestos fibers can cause major breathing problems and cancer ¹. Old and brittle asbestos products can release tiny, even microscopic, fibers. These fibers can remain suspended in the air and enter your lungs when you inhale. Airborne asbestos fibers have no odor or taste. Because of the health risks, the federal government has banned the use of asbestos in certain products, but it can still be used in others ².

Asbestos fibers are found in soil and rocks in many parts of the world. Asbestos are made mainly of silicon and oxygen, but they also contain other elements. There are 2 main types of asbestos:

• Chrysotile asbestos, also known as white asbestos, is the most common type of asbestos in industrial applications. When looked at under the microscope, chrysotile asbestos fibers wrap around themselves in a spiral, which is why this form of asbestos is also called serpentine or curly asbestos.
• Amphibole asbestos fibers are straight and needle-like. There are several types of amphibole fibers, including amosite (brown asbestos), crocidolite (blue asbestos), tremolite, actinolite, and anthophyllite.

Both types of asbestos have been linked with cancer. All forms of asbestos have been linked to mesothelioma, although amphibole asbestos appears to cause mesothelioma cancer at lower levels of exposure than chrysotile asbestos.

Illnesses caused by asbestos include mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, pleural diseases (pleural plaques (calcification) & pleural effusion) and other cancers.

Three of the major health effects associated with asbestos exposure are:

• Lung cancer
• Mesothelioma, a rare form of cancer that is found in the thin lining of the lung, chest and the abdomen and heart
• Asbestosis, a serious progressive, long-term, non-cancer disease of the lungs

Evidence from studies in both people and lab animals has shown that asbestos can increase the risk for some types of cancer. When asbestos fibers in the air are inhaled, they can stick to mucus in the throat, trachea (windpipe), or bronchi (large breathing tubes of the lungs) and might be cleared by being coughed up or swallowed. But some fibers reach the ends of the small airways in the lungs or penetrate into the outer lining of the lung and chest wall (known as the pleura). These fibers can irritate the cells in the lung or pleura and eventually cause lung cancer or mesothelioma.

Asbestos fibers can be useful because they are strong, resistant to heat and to many chemicals, and do not conduct electricity. As a result, asbestos has been used as an insulating material since ancient times. Since the industrial revolution, asbestos has been used to insulate factories, schools, homes, and ships, and to make automobile brake and clutch parts, roofing shingles, ceiling and floor tiles, cement, textiles, and hundreds of other products.

During the first half of the 20th century, growing evidence showed that breathing in asbestos caused scarring of the lungs. Exposure to asbestos dust in the workplace was not controlled at that time. Beginning in England in the 1930s, steps were taken to protect workers in the asbestos industry by installing ventilation and exhaust systems. However, in the huge shipbuilding effort during World War II, large numbers of workers were exposed to high levels of asbestos.

As asbestos-related cancers became better recognized in the second half of the 20th century, measures were taken to reduce exposure, including establishing exposure standards and laws that banned the use of asbestos in construction materials. There has been a dramatic decrease in importing and using asbestos in the United States since the mid-1970s, and alternative insulating materials have been developed. As a result, asbestos exposure has dropped dramatically. However, it’s still used in some products, and it’s still possible to be exposed to asbestos in older buildings, water pipes, and other settings. Asbestos use has been banned in the European Union since 2005, although the ban did not require removal of asbestos that was already in place. Still, heavy asbestos use continues in some countries.

What are the sources of asbestos?

Deteriorating, damaged or disturbed products—such as insulation, fireproofing, acoustical materials and floor tiles—may be sources of airborne asbestos indoors. Asbestos has also been used in a wide range of manufactured goods, mostly in building materials (roofing shingles, ceiling and paper products, and asbestos cement products), friction products (automobile clutch, brake, and transmission parts), heat-resistant fabrics, packaging, gaskets, and coatings. When asbestos-containing materials are disturbed, tiny fibers break off and are suspended in the air. These fibers may remain airborne for long periods of time before settling in dust.

Where asbestos may be found:

• Attic and wall insulation produced containing vermiculite
• Vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives
• Roofing and siding shingles
• Textured paint and patching compounds used on walls and ceilings
• Walls and floors around wood-burning stoves protected with asbestos paper, millboard, or cement sheets
• Hot water and steam pipes coated with asbestos material or covered with an asbestos blanket or tape
• Oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets with asbestos insulation
• Heat-resistant fabrics
• Automobile clutches and brakes

Most uses of asbestos are not banned. A few are banned under existing regulations ³.

People working with or around asbestos (miners, asbestos abatement workers, custodial and maintenance workers, and insulation workers) face greater risk of exposure. If proper safety precautions—masks and coverings—are not used, workers may carry asbestos fibers to their homes and families ⁴.

People may be exposed to asbestos by breathing tiny asbestos fibers in the air. The asbestos gets into the air from from natural deposits of asbestos in the earth or from past or current commercial products that contain the minerals. Asbestos fibers usually get into the air when something disturbs them in soil, rock, or older products, such as:

• Weathering or erosion of natural deposits of asbestos at the ground surface or old asbestos-containing products
• Crushing rock with natural deposits of asbestos
• Handling, cutting, or crushing old asbestos-containing products, for example, during building renovation or demolition projects
• Disturbing soil contaminated by natural surface deposits or old asbestos-containing products during recreational or other outdoor activities.
• Handling or disturbing consumer products contaminated with asbestos (such as vermiculite or talc)
• Gardening in soil contaminated by asbestos from natural deposits or commercial products
• Cleaning or other household activities that might stir up dust containing asbestos from natural deposits or products

How does asbestos impact health?

Asbestos can cause cancer. Inhaling asbestos fibers increases the risk of developing lung cancer and mesothelioma, a deadly cancer of the thin lining surrounding the lungs and other organs. The risk depends on how much you inhale, how long ago you were exposed and whether you smoke. Smoking cigarettes, in addition to inhaling asbestos, increases your chances of developing lung cancer ⁴.

When you inhale asbestos, the tiny fibers enter your air passages. Your body’s natural defenses remove most of these particles. The majority will be carried away or coughed up in a layer of mucus that protects your lungs. However, some fibers may bypass those defenses and lodge deep within your lungs. Those fibers can remain in place for a very long time and may never be removed. Most of the harmful impacts of asbestos will not be seen immediately. They often develop years after exposure occurs.

Exposure to high concentrations of airborne asbestos over long periods can create non-cancerous problems in the lungs and chest. Such exposure also can scar tissue in the lungs, in a condition called asbestosis ⁴. The scar tissue does not behave like normal, healthy lung tissue and makes breathing difficult. Asbestosis is a very serious and life-threatening disease. Fortunately, most people who are only exposed to moderate levels of asbestos are not likely to develop these more serious diseases.

Who is at risk?

If you have worked with asbestos, or lived with someone who worked with asbestos, or played on piles of discarded asbestos as a child, or lived in an area where asbestos was mined, there is a chance you could develop an asbestos-related illness.

How can you protect yourself from asbestos?

If you know or suspect there is asbestos in your home or workplace, leave the material alone if possible. Exposure to asbestos-containing materials is minimal as long as they are in good condition and not disturbed. Fibers are unlikely to become airborne unless materials are cut, ripped or sanded. If you need to remodel, remove or clean up asbestos, be sure to hire trained professionals.

If a material is damaged and you suspect it may contain asbestos, limit access to the area. Do not try to take samples yourself to see if it is asbestos. That sampling can do more damage than leaving the material alone. Consult a trained professional. Sealing or covering the exposed material often can be a better option than removal.

Asbestosis vs Mesothelioma

Asbestosis is a lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos dust. Inhaling asbestos dust can cause scarring in the lungs and in the pleural membrane (lining that surrounds the lungs). People with asbestosis have difficulty breathing, often have a cough and, in severe cases, have an enlarged heart. Symptoms of asbestosis usually appear 10 to 20 years after exposure to asbestos dust. Treating the asbestosis symptoms can help — such as treating shorteness of breath with oxygen. However, the damage to the lungs caused by asbestosis is not reversible.

Mesothelioma also called malignant mesothelioma, is an aggressive and deadly form of cancer caused by exposure to asbestos, that occurs in the thin layer of tissue that covers the majority of your internal organs (mesothelium). There is no cure for mesothelioma. If you have mesothelioma, you might have periods when you are quite healthy; at other times, you will need treatment to control symptoms. Most mesothelioma cancer cases are diagnosed in people aged 60-80 and men are affected more commonly than women.

Mesothelioma grows in the mesothelial cells, which are found in the membranes that surround most organs in the body. Doctors divide mesothelioma into different types based on what part of the mesothelium is affected:

1. Pleural mesothelioma: This type develops in the lining of the lungs, called the pleura. It is the most common form of mesothelioma, accounting for about 9 out of 10 cases. It is different from lung cancer.
2. Peritoneal mesothelioma: This develops in the lining of the abdomen (tummy).

Sometimes, mesothelioma can develop in the lining of the heart or in the membrane around the testicles.

The only known cause of mesothelioma is exposure to asbestos. It can take just a tiny amount of asbestos to cause mesothelioma, and the mesothelioma may take 20 to 60 years to develop.

Risk factors for mesothelioma

Factors that may increase the risk of mesothelioma include:

• Personal history of asbestos exposure. If you’ve been directly exposed to asbestos fibers at work or at home, your risk of mesothelioma is greatly increased.
• Living with someone who works with asbestos. People who are exposed to asbestos may carry the fibers home on their skin and clothing. Exposure to these stray fibers over many years can put others in the home at risk of mesothelioma. People who work with high levels of asbestos can reduce the risk of bringing home asbestos fibers by showering and changing clothes before leaving work.
• A family history of mesothelioma. If your parent, sibling or child has mesothelioma, you may have an increased risk of this disease.

Mesothelioma symptoms

Pleural mesothelioma has symptoms that include:

• shortness of breath (worse when active or lying down)
• chest pain under the rib cage, or pain in the shoulder or upper arm
• unexplained weight loss
• a cough that doesn’t go away
• painful coughing
• night sweats
• unusual lumps of tissue under the skin on your chest

Peritoneal mesothelioma has symptoms that include:

• swelling or pain in the tummy
• not feeling hungry
• unexplained weight loss
• feeling nauseous
• fever
• problems with urinating or bowel movements (pooing)

Mesothelioma can cause fluid to build up around the pleura (called pleural effusion) or in the tummy (called peritoneal effusion or ascites), which causes swelling and pain.

Other forms of mesothelioma

Signs and symptoms of other types of mesothelioma are unclear, since these forms of the disease are very rare.

• Pericardial mesothelioma, which affects tissue that surrounds the heart, can cause signs and symptoms such as breathing difficulty and chest pains.
• Mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis, which affects tissue surrounding the testicles, may be first detected as swelling or a mass on a testicle.

Mesothelioma complications

As pleural mesothelioma spreads in the chest, it puts pressure on the structures in that area. This can cause complications, such as:

• Difficulty breathing
• Chest pain
• Difficulty swallowing
• Pain caused by pressure on the nerves and spinal cord
• Accumulation of fluid in the chest (pleural effusion), which can compress the lung nearby and make breathing difficult

Mesothelioma diagnosis

Mesothelioma can be quite hard to diagnose because it can look like other types of cancer. If your doctor suspects mesothelioma, they will order a range of tests and combine all the information to make a firm diagnosis. These tests could include:

• blood tests
• biopsies, where a small sample of tissue is taken from the pleura or abdomen to be examined in a laboratory
• x-rays, to look for problems in the lung, thickening of the pleura, or fluid between the lungs and wall of the chest
• a CT scan to see if the cancer has spread to elsewhere in the body
• studying fluid that has been removed from the pleura or abdomen
• other tests to see whether the disease has spread, including PET scans, examining the lymph nodes in the middle of the chest, or an ultrasound to look down your windpipe and into your lungs

Mesothelioma treatment

Unfortunately, there is no cure for mesothelioma and it is often not diagnosed until it is quite advanced. Treatment is designed to reduce symptoms and improve quality of life.

Depending on how advanced the disease is, you might have chemotherapy or radiotherapy to destroy the cancer cells, or surgery to remove the tumor, the pleura and sometimes the diaphragm and part of the lining of the heart.

To control breathlessness and pain, a surgical procedure called VATS pleurodesis is done to drain fluid from the lungs, or from the abdomen. Some people have a drain (a small tube) inserted so that fluid can be removed regularly.

Surgery

Surgeons work to remove mesothelioma when it’s diagnosed at an early stage. In some cases this may cure the cancer. Sometimes it isn’t possible to remove all of the cancer. In those cases, surgery may help to reduce the signs and symptoms caused by mesothelioma spreading in your body.

Surgical options may include:

• Surgery to decrease fluid buildup. Pleural mesothelioma may cause fluid to build up in your chest, causing difficulty breathing. Surgeons insert a tube or catheter into your chest to drain the fluid. Doctors may also inject medicine into your chest to prevent fluid from returning (pleurodesis).
• Surgery to remove the tissue around the lungs or abdomen. Surgeons may remove the tissue lining the ribs and the lungs (pleurectomy) or the tissue lining the abdominal cavity (peritonectomy). This procedure won’t cure mesothelioma, but may relieve signs and symptoms.
• Surgery to remove as much of the cancer as possible (debulking). If all of the cancer can’t be removed, surgeons may attempt to remove as much as possible. Debulking allows doctors to more accurately direct radiation treatments to relieve pain and fluid buildup caused by mesothelioma.
• Surgery to remove a lung and the surrounding tissue. Removing the affected lung and the tissue that surrounds it may relieve signs and symptoms of pleural mesothelioma. If you’ll be receiving radiation therapy to the chest after surgery, this procedure also allows doctors to use higher doses, since they won’t need to worry about protecting your lung from damaging radiation.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses chemicals to kill cancer cells. Systemic chemotherapy travels throughout the body and may shrink or slow the growth of a mesothelioma that can’t be removed using surgery. Chemotherapy may also be used before surgery (neoadjuvant chemotherapy) to make an operation easier or after surgery (adjuvant chemotherapy) to reduce the chance that cancer will return.

Chemotherapy drugs may also be heated and administered directly into the abdominal cavity (intraperitoneal chemotherapy), in the case of peritoneal mesothelioma. Using this strategy, chemotherapy drugs can reach the mesothelioma directly without injuring healthy cells in other parts of the body. This allows doctors to administer higher doses of chemotherapy drugs.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy focuses high-energy beams from sources such as X-rays and protons to a specific spot or spots on your body. Radiation may be used after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. It may also help reduce signs and symptoms of advanced cancer in situations where surgery isn’t an option.

Clinical trials

Clinical trials are studies of new mesothelioma treatment methods. People with mesothelioma may opt for a clinical trial for a chance to try new types of treatment. However, a cure isn’t guaranteed. Carefully consider your treatment options and talk to your doctor about what clinical trials are open to you. Your participation in a clinical trial may help doctors better understand how to treat mesothelioma in the future.

Clinical trials are currently investigating a number of new approaches to mesothelioma treatment, including:

• Targeted therapy, which involves using drugs that attack specific abnormalities within cancer cells.
• Biological therapy, which uses your body’s immune system to fight cancer.
• Gene therapy, which involves altering the genes inside the cancer cells in order to stop disease.

Treatment for other types of mesothelioma

Pericardial mesothelioma and mesothelioma of tunica vaginalis are very rare. Early-stage cancer may be removed through surgery. Doctors have yet to determine the best way to treat later-stage cancers, though. Your doctor may recommend other treatments to improve your quality of life.

What is asbestosis

Asbestosis is scarring in the lungs caused by breathing asbestos fibers. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they can cause inflammation and scarring of lung tissues. This is called “fibrosis”. The lungs become stiff and unable to expand. This causes difficulty breathing. Asbestosis disease gradually worsens over years, even when exposure to asbestos is stopped.

People with asbestosis have difficulty breathing, often have a cough and, in severe cases, have an enlarged heart.

Most people with asbestosis acquired it on the job before the federal government began regulating the use of asbestos and asbestos products in the 1970s. Health regulations in over the last 50 to 60 years have steadily reduced exposure of workers to asbestos, such that most people with asbestosis had their exposure before the late 1970s. Today, its handling is strictly regulated. With strict regulations contracting asbestosis on the job now now is extremely unlikely. Nonetheless, many workers in construction and some other industries still face significant workplace exposure.

Symptoms usually appear 10 to 40 years after exposure to asbestos dust.

Unfortunately there is no cure for asbestosis, the damage to the lungs caused by asbestosis is not reversible. Treatment of asbestosis focuses on relieving your symptoms. — such as treating shorteness of breath with oxygen.

Can you get asbestosis from one exposure?

People who have contact with asbestos do not always develop health problems.

The risk of asbestosis depends on many factors:

• How much asbestos is in the air
• How often and for how long exposure occurs
• How much time has passed since exposure began
• Whether the person already has lung or breathing conditions and
• Whether the person smokes tobacco

The amount of asbestos that gets into the air people breathe depends on many factors, including:

• the location,
• the type of material or soil the asbestos is in,
• the age and characteristics of that material,
• weather conditions and moisture, and
• the intensity of the activity disturbing the asbestos

Once the asbestos fibers get into the air, they will act the same no matter where they came from. A fiber of chrysotile will cause the same risk of disease whether it came directly from a natural deposit or from a commercial product.

People may also be exposed to asbestos by accidentally swallowing fibers or getting them on their skin. However, these types of contact only cause health effects after large amounts of exposure. Also, the effects of swallowing or touching asbestos are less serious than the health effects of breathing asbestos.

Asbestosis signs and symptoms

The effects of long-term exposure to asbestos typically don’t show up for 10 to 40 years after initial exposure.

Signs and symptoms of asbestosis include:

• Shortness of breath
• A persistent dry cough
• Chest tightness
• Chest pain
• Loss of appetite with weight loss
• A dry, crackling sound in the lungs while breathing in
• Wider and rounder than normal fingertips and toes (clubbing)

Asbestosis complications

If you have asbestosis, you’re at increased risk of developing lung cancer — especially if you smoke or have a history of smoking.

Asbestosis causes

If you are exposed to high levels of asbestos dust over a long period of time, some of the airborne fibers can become lodged within your alveoli — the tiny sacs inside your lungs where oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide in your blood. The asbestos fibers irritate and scar lung tissue, causing the lungs to become stiff. This makes it difficult to breathe.

As asbestosis progresses, more and more lung tissue becomes scarred. Eventually, your lung tissue becomes so stiff that it can’t contract and expand normally.

Smoking cigarettes appears to increase the retention of asbestos fibers in the lungs, and often results in a faster progression of the disease.

Risk factors for asbestosis

People who worked in mining, milling, manufacturing, installation or removal of asbestos products before the late 1970s are at risk of asbestosis. Examples include:

• Asbestos miners
• Aircraft and auto mechanics
• Boiler operators
• Building construction workers
• Electricians
• Railroad workers
• Shipyard workers
• Workers removing asbestos insulation around steam pipes in older buildings

In general, it’s safe to be around materials that are made with asbestos as long as the asbestos fibers are contained. This prevents them from getting into the air.

Asbestosis prevention

Reducing exposure to asbestos is the best prevention against asbestosis. In the United States, federal law requires employers in industries that work with asbestos products — such as construction — to take special safety measures.

Many homes built before the 1970s have materials such as pipes and floor tiles that contain asbestos. Generally, there’s no cause for concern as long as the asbestos is enclosed and undisturbed. It’s when materials containing asbestos are damaged that there’s a danger of asbestos fibers being released into the air.

Here is a list of common products and materials containing asbestos:

• Insulation systems for attic, wall, wood-burning stoves, oil and coal furnaces and door gaskets
• Vinyl floor tiles and the backing on vinyl sheet flooring and adhesives
• Roofing and siding shingles
• Plaster, cement, putties and caulk used on wall and ceilings
• Hot water and steam pipe wrapping
• Heat-resistant fabrics
• Automobile clutch pads and brake linings

Reducing asbestos exposure

People who work around asbestos, or materials that contain it, should:

• Get proper training for handling asbestos
• Wear the right personal protective equipment

People who live in older homes should:

• Avoid disturbing materials that might contain asbestos, including:
  • pipe and furnace insulation, siding, flooring, and popcorn ceilings installed from the 1950s to the 1970s
  • vermiculite attic insulation
• Talk to their local or state environmental agency or a certified asbestos contractor if the materials are breaking down or need to be replaced
• Hire contractors who know and follow laws for safe asbestos removal and disposal to avoid contaminating the rest of the home or the environment

People who live in areas with natural asbestos deposits or near areas contaminated by old asbestos-containing products should:

• Keep asbestos levels low in the home by:
  • Using wet cleaning methods and high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuums
  • Using doormats and removing shoes before entering
  • Keeping windows closed on windy days to keep asbestos out
• Avoid breathing dust outside by:
  • Using water to wet soil before gardening or playing
  • Spraying off patios with water instead of sweeping them
  • Staying on pavement or ground covered with grass or mulch

Asbestosis prognosis

Asbestosis prognosis depends on the amount of asbestos you were exposed to and how long you were exposed.

People who develop malignant mesothelioma tend to have a poorer outcome.

Asbestosis diagnosis

Asbestosis can be difficult to diagnose because its signs and symptoms are similar to those of many other types of respiratory diseases. A variety of diagnostic tests might be needed to help pinpoint the diagnosis.

During the visit, your doctor will ask about your breathing, both at rest and during exercise. Your doctor will also ask about your jobs in detail to determine how much you were exposed to asbestos. So, it would be a good idea to prepare the following information in advance:

• Your symptoms and the time they started
• Treatments given before for the symptoms
• The work you have done in your entire career; the length of time you spent in each job
• The products you were in contact with at work and whether or not you wore protective equipment
• Smoking history
• Any old medical records, including chest X-rays or CT scans

During the physical examination your doctor will listen to your lungs to determine if the sounds are normal or not. Your doctor may then order the following tests:

Imaging tests

• Chest X-ray. Advanced asbestosis appears as excessive whiteness in your lung tissue. If the asbestosis is severe, the tissue in both lungs might be affected, giving them a honeycomb appearance.
• Computerized tomography (CT). CT scans combine a series of X-ray views taken from many different angles to produce cross-sectional images of the bones and soft tissues inside your body. These scans generally provide greater detail and might help detect asbestosis in its early stages, even before it shows up on a chest X-ray.

Pulmonary function tests

These tests determine how well your lungs are functioning. Pulmonary function tests measure how much air your lungs can hold and the airflow in and out of your lungs.

During the test, you might be asked to blow as hard as you can into an air-measurement device called a spirometer. More-complete pulmonary function tests can measure the amount of oxygen being transferred to your bloodstream.

Biopsy, where small samples of lung tissue are surgically removed and then examined for the scars and tiny asbestos fibers, is usually not necessary to diagnose asbestosis.

Asbestosis treatment

There is no treatment that can reverse the damage done by asbestos. Treatment focuses on slowing the progression of the disease and relieving symptoms.

You can take certain steps to help slow down the asbestosis progression, especially preventing further exposure to asbestos and quitting smoking. There are also treatments that your physician can prescribe to help ease your breathing and maintain your general lung health.

• Stopping smoking. Asbestosis increases the risk of lung cancer. Quitting smoking can reduce this risk. Try to avoid secondhand smoke. Smoking might also cause emphysema, which further reduces your lung reserves.
• In smokers, medications may be prescribed to help quit, or to ease symptoms that may be related to cigarette-related lung problems.
• Flu and pneumonia vaccines do not treat asbestosis, but are recommended for almost everyone with lung disease.
• Oxygen therapy – to ease breathing difficulty caused by advanced asbestosis, your doctor might prescribe supplemental oxygen. This is delivered by thin plastic tubing with prongs that fit into your nostrils or a mask.
• Pulmonary rehabilitation, which is an exercise program designed to help all patients with chronic lung conditions.

You’ll need routine follow-up care, such as chest X-rays and lung function tests, at regular intervals depending on the severity of your condition.

In very severe situations, you might be a candidate for a lung transplant and you doctor refer you to a lung transplant specialist.

Living with asbestosis

Asbestosis is a chronic disease. Although there is no cure, you can take certain steps to improve the quality of life for you and your family.

You may get sick more often when you have asbestosis. As your disease progresses, you may need to make lifestyle changes like using oxygen, attending pulmonary rehabilitation and learning to go about your daily life in a way that keeps you from feeling too short of breath.

In very advanced diseases, you may need to be hospitalized to help with your breathing. As with all lung diseases, it is important to discuss with your doctor how to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. If your doctor thinks there may be a point when your asbestosis will cause you to be hospitalized, he or she may recommended making plans for the future. He or she might recommend filling out an advance directive and taking other steps so that should you be hospitalized, all of your wishes are respected.

Managing asbestosis

Your doctor can help manage your symptoms. You can also help yourself by doing the following to prevent complications of the disease and improve your quality of life.

• Maintain nutrition
  • Eat a well-balanced diet, including lots of fruits and vegetables.
  • Drink adequate amounts of water, at least six glasses of water daily.
  • Limit your salt intake.
• Get enough rest
  • Adequate sleep every night.
  • Take frequent short rests during the day.
• Exercise regularly
  • Stay as active as you can.
  • Go to the gym, if your body allows.
  • Do not overexert yourself.
  • Make sure the weather is suitable when you exercise outdoors.
• Prevent infections
  • Wash your hands often.
  • Avoid large crowds.
  • Get flu and pneumonia shots according to your doctor’s recommendations.
• Avoid exposure to bad air or air pollution
  • Stay inside when air pollution is severe and pollen counts are high.
  • Avoid breathing pollutants that can trigger shortness of breath, including second-hand smoke, traffic fumes, smog, aerosol sprays, and vapors from products, such as paint, kerosene, and cleaning agents.
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a scarf to avoid breathing in cold air in cold weather.

Pay attention to people who live with you and see if they have similar symptoms. They may have been exposed to asbestos fibers you might have brought home on your clothes, shoes and body and are now developing the disease.

You can ease the stress of this illness by joining a lung support group. Sharing with others who have common experiences and problems can help you not feel alone.

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