Asbestosis is a condition that occurs because of prolonged exposure to asbestos and can lead to mesothelioma. Asbestosis is a type of fibrosis where airborne fibers cause severe lung destruction. This can transform the lung tissue abnormally and cause breathing problems. The fibers are microscopic and can irritate the lungs badly because the body's immune system fails to deal with them.
It is difficult to diagnose asbestosis because the disorders related to asbestos exposure develop very slowly. The condition takes about twenty to thirty years to develop and as of now there is no effective medicine to cure it.
Diagnosis of asbestosis is done by first taking into account the clinical history of the patient. It the patients occupation involves exposure to asbestosis then this is taken into account during the diagnosis. Lung screening for workers who are risk of developing the disease can reveal lung inflammation and lesions which are a characteristic of this disease.
Usually when a patient has asbestosis, the doctor listening to the patient's lung with the stethoscope can hear abnormal sounds called crackles. If a patient has been exposed to asbestosis for a prolonged period, the doctor can detect asbestosis with a chest x-ray or a chest computed tomography (CT). In such cases, the x-rays can show shadows, spots on the lungs, an indistinct or shaggy outline of the heart, all of which suggests the presence of asbestosis
A blood sample of the patient can be taken to measure the concentration of oxygen and carbon-di-oxide in the blood. Pulmonary function tests can be done to assess how well or badly the patient's can inhale and exhale. When a computed tomography scan (CT) of the lungs is taken it can show flat, raised patches associated with advanced asbestosis.
All the above mentioned tests can be carried on a person suspected of having asbestosis to properly reveal the condition of the disease. As of today there is no cure for the disease. The treatment offered only serve to reduce the discomfort and lung destruction caused by the disease.
About the Author
Linda James - Asbestosis
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