Symptoms of Asbestosis

Asbestosis Symptoms

What are the symptoms of asbestosis?

There are several early symptoms of Asbestosis that could possibly suggest a range of lung and general health issues, these include:

• Coughing
• Blood in the Sputum (mucus secreted from the lungs and expelled through the mouth)
• Swelling in the neck or face
• Chest pain
• Loss of Appetite
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Weight loss

If you develop any of the above symptoms you should discuss matters with your doctor, although it’s quite plausible that they could be a sign of something far less severe.

One of the early symptoms of Asbestosis can be a shortness of breath after exercise or physical activity, followed by the development of a dry, rattling cough and a general feeling of illness.

As the disease progresses there are other symptoms that can be noticed such as a swelling of the feet, ankles or hands. In addition in some cases you may notice that fingers start to become misshapen; often becoming clubbed (widened and thickened) and sometimes involving softening of the nail-beds and bulging of the ends of the fingers. This can happen due to the lack of oxygenated blood reaching the extremities of the body.

Upon further examination by a doctor, other features may be noticed. Asbestosis is most prevalent in the lower lung lobe, so in a great deal of cases the patient will have developed fibrosis (scarring) within the lower lung. Many patients will go on to develop plaques or legions in the cavity between the lung and the chest wall.

Because the disease reduces the function of the lungs, in some cases this means that the heart has to work increasingly hard to get sufficient oxygenated blood around the body. As a result, blood pressure can increase dangerously, and in some cases people actually die of heart failure.

The nature of the development of Asbestosis often depends on the levels of exposure to asbestos that the patient has endured: if someone has spent many years inhaling the fibres, the development of the disease can be more rapid and more invasive than in someone who was only mildly exposed. If you have any concerns about the health of your lungs, particularly if you have spent time working with Asbestos, you should contact your doctor and talk through any concerns you may have before it has chance to get any worse.