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If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation.
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Asbestosis
In addition to mesothelioma, another asbestos danger is asbestosis. With asbestosis, lung tissue is damaged by asbestos fibers. The fibers cause inflammation and scarring. Asbestosis occurs when scar tissue replaces lung tissue.
This particular asbestos danger produces shortness of breath and coughing. It may also cause permanent lung damage. While asbestosis is noncancerous, it is a progressive and chronic, or long lasting, lung ailment. Asbestosis usually progresses slowly. Like mesothelioma, asbestosis usually takes 10-20 years to develop after asbestos exposure.
Asbestosis has been known as an asbestos danger for as long as mesothelioma has been known to be a danger. The connection between asbestos and these two ailments was first reported in 1943.
Studies have shown that people at greatest risk for this asbestos danger are those with high levels of exposure to asbestos for a long period of time. Studies show a clear relationship between the amount of asbestos inhaled over a lifetime and the development of asbestosis. People with low levels of asbestos exposure for a long duration also developed asbestosis.
Asbestosis has been shown to lower a person's resistance to secondary diseases, like pneumonia, emphysema, and tuberculosis. In some cases, asbestosis may have caused these types of diseases to become fatal. Many people with asbestosis also develop mesothelioma, a rare and deadly form of cancer. This is especially true for asbestosis sufferers who smoke--they are 55% more likely to develop mesothelioma than asbestosis victims who do not smoke.
If you or a loved one has a history of asbestos exposure, you may wish to visit our Testing for Asbestos-Related Illness page. There you will find information on the various medical tests available for confirming the presence of asbestos-related illnesses and abnormalities.
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