Asbestosis

Asbestosis
A plaque caused by asbestos exposure on the diaphragmatic pleura
Medical specialtyPulmonology
SymptomsShortness of breath, cough, wheezing, chest pain[1]
ComplicationsLung cancer, mesothelioma, pleural fibrosis, pulmonary heart disease[1][2]
Usual onsetc. 10–40 years after long-term exposure[3]
CausesAsbestos[4]
Diagnostic methodHistory of exposure, medical imaging[4]
PreventionEliminating exposure[4]
TreatmentSupportive care, stopping smoking, oxygen therapy,[5][4] lung replacement
PrognosisUp to 40% continue to worsen[6]
Frequency157,000 (2015)[7]
Deaths3,600 (2015).[8], 200,000 annually (2024) (WHO)[9]

Asbestosis is caused by breathing in asbestos fibers. If asbestos gets into the lungs by breathing it in, it causes a disease called pulmonary fibrosis. It is one of the asbestos related occupational diseases mostly of the past and a restrictive lung disease.[10]

It does not affect a lot of new people, because most countries have banned the use of asbestos. After learning about the health hazards of the mineral, most but not all countries have banned its use, and it also took a long time to see the result of exposure. Asbestos can affect people up to 40 years after first inhaling asbestos.[10]

It is not to be confused with mesothelioma, a cancer of the pleural spaces and ovary or testicles, also caused by breathing asbestos fibers.

Countries where asbestos is used today

There are more countries which use asbestos and this list does not include all of the countries involved.

References

  1. 1 2 "Asbestosis symptoms and treatments". NHS Inform. NHS. 6 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  2. ↑ "Chapter 6.2 – Asbestos". Air Quality Guidelines (PDF) (2nd ed.). World Health Organization. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 24, 2011. Retrieved 2009-12-20.
  3. ↑ Thillai, Muhunthan; Moller, David R.; Meyer, Keith C. (2017). Clinical Handbook of Interstitial Lung Disease. CRC Press. p. PT635. ISBN 9781351650083.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Lara, Abigail R. (May 2014). "Asbestosis – Pulmonary Disorders". Merck Manuals Professional Edition. Merck. Archived from the original on 29 March 2023. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  5. ↑ "Asbestosis symptoms and treatments". NHS Inform. 6 April 2017. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
  6. ↑ Smedley, Julia; Dick, Finlay; Sadhra, Steven (2013). Oxford Handbook of Occupational Health. Oxford University Press. p. PT165. ISBN 9780191653308.
  7. ↑ GBD 2015 Disease and Injury Incidence and Prevalence Collaborators (8 October 2016). "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". The Lancet. 388 (10053): 1545–1602. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)31678-6. PMC 5055577. PMID 27733282.
  8. ↑ GBD 2015 Mortality and Causes of Death Collaborators (8 October 2016). "Global, regional, and national life expectancy, all-cause mortality, and cause-specific mortality for 249 causes of death, 1980–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015". The Lancet. 388 (10053): 1459–1544. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31012-1. PMC 5388903. PMID 27733281.
  9. ↑ https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/asbestos
  10. 1 2 Wilkinson, Ian; Raine, Tim; Wiles, Kate; Hateley, Peter; Kelly, Dearbhla; McGurgan, Iain (2024). Oxford handbook of clinical medicine. Oxford medical handbooks - mixed (11 ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-884402-0.
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