Asbestosis is a chronic lung condition that causes damage to the tissue of the lungs
. Asbestosis symptoms tend to begin to show after fifteen to twenty years after the initial asbestos exposure occurred. Some symptoms begin quite mildly but then become more sever over time- shortness of breath is a common example of this.
At first the shortness of breath may only occur as a result of physical activity but as time goes by it will begin to occur during periods of rest too.
A cough is another symptom of asbestosis, unlike normal coughs asbestosis coughs do not get better, instead they get worse.
One other symptom commonly reported is chest pain, all chest pain should be investigated by a doctor immediately, in order to find the cause.
Another symptom which is slightly less common is that the ends of the fingers become swollen and red due to a build up of fluid in the tissues. This symptom is known as finger clubbing and is much less common than the other symptoms.
Your GP will ask you about the symptoms you are experiencing and probably listen to your chest using a stethoscope. If you are suffering from asbestosis then the doctor will hear a distinctive crackling noise as you exhale.
A medical history will be taken and your GP will want to know whether you have been exposed to asbestos and if so how long you were exposed for. Questions will also be asked surrounding the safety precautions (if any) that were taken.
If Asbestosis is suspected then the following three tests will be conducted - a spirometer test which measures how much oxygen you can inhale in relation to how much carbon dioxide you exhale. X-rays may be taken of your lungs and chest. If asbestos is expected to be in its early stages then a CT scan may be carried out in order to get a detailed picture of what is happening.