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Asbestosis is caused by exposure to airborne asbestos fibers. As it can take one to two decades before symptoms show up, chances are the exposure to asbestos happened a long time ago before asbestos use was banned.
It had been commonly used in the building industry and could be found in such materials as vinyl siding, vinyl tiles, roofing tiles, plumbing pipes, insulation and textured paints.
It’s hard to imagine how these solid building materials could become airborne particles. However, this natural mineral is actually long, thin fibers that are spun and woven into various materials. It’s also this fact that makes them so dangerous. These thin fibers easily penetrate the skin and release minute particles when disturbed. Once penetrated or inhaled these foreign particles trigger the body’s immune system. This causes inflammation, which is often the first sign of asbestos related lung disease.
The immune system can’t expel the foreign body nor can it break the asbestos fibers down. So the body’s next step is to isolate the particles and wrap them in scar tissue. This scar tissue does not expand and therefore causes pain and tightness in the person’s chest as it can’t expand and contract normally. This also leads to lowered lung capacity and functioning, as the scar tissue doesn’t allow for regular gas exchanges. Meaning, there is now shortness of breath, a common symptom of asbestosis. As time passes, the body attempts to fight against something it can’t win against. The scarring gets worse, which then leads to an ever increasing loss of lung function.
Asbestos is a known carcinogen and therefore will cause normal body tissues to become abnormal cells. Common secondary signs of asbestosis are tumors and cancer. Malignant mesothelioma is a result of asbestos exposure and comes with a high mortality rate. Close to seventy-five percent of all patients diagnosed with this type of cancer will die within a year of diagnosis.
Smokers are at an even higher risk of developing this type of cancer.
In summary, one can see that asbestosis is caused by the presence of asbestos particles and by medical science’s inability to remove it.