What are the three most common asbestos diseases?

There are 4 main diseases caused by asbestos exposure:

  • Pleural disease. Pleural plaques and pleural thickening are non-cancerous conditions affecting the outer lining of the lungs (the pleura).
  • Mesothelioma.
  • Asbestosis.
  • Lung cancer.

What type of disease is asbestos?

Asbestosis (as-bes-TOE-sis) is a chronic lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. Prolonged exposure to these fibers can cause lung tissue scarring and shortness of breath. Asbestosis symptoms can range from mild to severe, and usually don’t appear until many years after initial exposure.

What two diseases are caused by asbestos?

Exposure to asbestos can increase the risk of developing:

  • Lung cancer.
  • Asbestosis, which causes permanent lung damage.
  • Mesothelioma, a rare cancer of the chest and stomach lining.
  • Cancer of the gastrointestinal tract, kidney and throat (larynx or oropharynx).
  • Scarring of the lung lining.

How do you know if you have asbestos disease?

Asbestosis is usually diagnosed by a careful medical history, exposure history and chest X-ray or CT scan that shows scarring of the lung tissues. This information, along with breathing tests, helps your doctor determine how severe your asbestosis is and how well your lung is functioning.

How long do asbestos diseases take to develop?

Development of asbestos-related disease that cause this restriction, as well as other symptoms, has a latency period anywhere between 10 and 50 years. Symptoms usually only present themselves 20 to 30 years after exposure to asbestos, once the disease has already started to develop.

How does asbestos affect the body?

If you breathe asbestos fibers, you may increase the risk of several serious diseases, including asbestosis, mesothelioma and lung cancer. Asbestos exposure may increase your risk for cancers of the digestive system, including colon cancer.

How common is asbestos-related disease?

Thousands of Americans are diagnosed with asbestos-related conditions each year. Hundreds of thousands of people are diagnosed with these conditions around the globe. Around 3,000 Americans are diagnosed with mesothelioma every year. Asbestos exposure causes at least 90 percent of all mesothelioma cases.

How many diseases are related to asbestos?

Asbestos diseases are caused by exposure to asbestos fibers. Malignant asbestos diseases include mesothelioma, lung cancer, ovarian cancer and laryngeal cancer. Nonmalignant asbestos diseases include asbestosis, COPD, pleural plaques, pleural thickening, pleural effusion and atelectasis.

Can you cure asbestosis?

How Asbestosis Is Treated. There is no treatment that can reverse the damage done by asbestos, but certain steps can help slow down progression of the disease and relieve symptoms. Avoiding further exposure to asbestos and other irritants such as cigarette smoke will help slow down the disease from progressing.

How long can you live with asbestosis?

Can You Live with Asbestosis? Yes, you can live with asbestosis for years, but there is no cure for this progressive condition. Patients live an average of 10 years with asbestosis. Lung transplantation is the best long-term treatment for asbestosis, but few patients qualify for this serious procedure.

Can your lungs heal from asbestos?

There’s no cure for asbestosis once it has developed, as it’s not possible to reverse the damage to the lungs. But some treatments can help, such as: pulmonary rehabilitation – a programme of exercises and education to help manage your symptoms.