Asbestos Poisoning Treatments

Asbestos poisoning is a term sometimes used to describe exposure to asbestos particles. When inhaled, these particles scar the tissues of the lungs, leading to damage that may ultimately result in chronic breathing impairment or cancer. Asbestos exposure may also cause cancer of the thoracic lining (mesothelioma). The seriousness of asbestos poisoning is related to the length and severity of exposure, and appropriate treatment depends on the extent of the asbestos-related damage.

Time-delayed Results of Exposure

• It is important to understand that the consequences of asbestos poisoning typically do not manifest until decades after initial exposure to the material. If you are feeling the effects of an asbestos-related illness, your body may be reacting to events that happened 20 years or longer in the past. While you will want to check your environment for continuing sources of exposure, such as damaged siding on an older home, it is quite possible your condition is unrelated to your current activities. If you are concerned about ongoing asbestos exposure, consult the appropriate agencies in your area about potential sources and asbestos removal guidelines. Discontinue any work done in environments that contain loose asbestos.

Treating Asbestosis

• Asbestosis is a chronic breathing impairment caused by asbestos-related scarring of lung tissue. It is typically the least serious form of asbestos poisoning, but even so its effects can be debilitating, or even fatal. If you have this condition, your symptoms may include coughing, chest pain, decreasing physical resilience and shortness of breath that may worsen over time. See your doctor if you have these symptoms, and inform him if you have a known history of asbestos exposure.

  If you are diagnosed with asbestosis, the extent of your health problems will vary with the amount of lung damage involved. Potential complications include high blood pressure in your lungs (pulmonary hypertension) and enlargement or failure of your heart. You also have an increased risk of developing the other two main asbestos-related illnesses, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Your risks for lung cancer are higher if you smoke.

  The effects of asbestos exposure cannot be reversed. Treatment for asbestosis centers on treating complications from the illness, and avoiding any additional asbestos exposure. If you smoke, you should stop immediately. Treat any potential lung impairments --- including colds, the flu and pneumonia --- with the utmost promptness and seriousness. Your doctor should work to treat any related heart or lung conditions.

Treating Asbestos-related Lung Cancer

• Asbestos poisoning that leads to lung cancer is treated according to established standards for this disease. Options for lung cancer treatment include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Additional measures will be taken to deal with the specific effects of the scarring of your lung tissue.

Treating Mesothelioma

• Mesothelioma is an extremely serious consequence of asbestos poisoning. This rare form of cancer is typically quite aggressive, and it is often not discovered until it has advanced significantly. As a result, the disease is frequently fatal. Treatment options for mesothelioma are essentially the same as those for lung cancer, although surgery, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are sometimes combined in an attempt to combat rapidly developing cases.