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The risks, symptoms, and cure of Asbestosis - an overview
Exposure to asbestos fibres causes lung disease known as Asbestosis. The scarring of the lungs impedes breathing and interferes with oxygen entering the bloodstream.
Today, many people come up with symptoms that show up years after being exposed to asbestos. The asbestosis disease takes many years to develop and is life-threatening. As per UK reports, around 5000 deaths every year are related to asbestos exposure.
What are the symptoms?
Symptoms usually appear on average of 20 years though it can be a high as 40 years after asbestos exposure. Some common symptoms include
Tightness in chest
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Loss of appetite
Persistent dry cough
Causes
When one inhales asbestos fibres, the fine dust gets embedded in the lungs and form a tissue scar. This scarring is called Asbestosis. If one is working in industries associated with asbestos, they are at higher risk. Construction and fireproofing jobs have high chances of asbestos exposure.
Asbestos is banned by the UK government, as many old properties have asbestos material in the building structures. Nowadays, licensed contractors are authorized only to do Asbestos Removal work in Cheltenham.
Treatment for Asbestosis
Asbestosis cannot be cured. That is the sad outcome for someone getting exposed to asbestos fibres accidentally. They usually show up after many years, and the lungs get damaged by that time.
Few treatments can provide symptomatic relief to the patients. For example, prescription inhalers help to lessen lungs congestion. Supplementary oxygen from tubes or masks can increase the oxygen levels and provide relief to patients.
A lung transplant can be done if the condition is severe, but the whole procedure is costly and not common.
Takeaway
Asbestosis's final destination is lung cancer. Therefore, it is imperative for people staying in properties that are old by many decades to call for an Asbestos Survey from experts in Oxfordshire and take prentice measures.
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