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Asbestosis
Alternate Names : Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonitis - from Asbestos Exposure, Pulmonary Fibrosis - from Asbestos Exposure
Definition Asbestosis is a respiratory disease caused by inhaling asbestos fibers.
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Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
Inhaling asbestos fibers can cause scar tissue (fibrosis) to form inside the lung. Scarred lung tissue does not expand and contract normally. The severity of the disease depends upon the duration of exposure to asbestos and the amount inhaled.
Asbestos fibers were commonly used in construction before 1975. Asbestos exposure occurs in asbestos mining and milling industries, construction, fireproofing, and other industries. In families of asbestos workers, exposure can also occur from particles brought home on the worker's clothing.
Asbestos-related disease includes pleural plaques (calcification), malignant mesothelioma, and pleural effusion. Mesotheliomas may develop 20 to 40 years after exposure. More than 9 million workers are at risk of developing this disease.
Cigarette smoking increases the risk of developing the disease. The incidence is 4 out of 10,000 people.
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• Definition
• Asbestosis Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
• Asbestosis Symptoms & Signs
• Asbestosis Prevention
• Asbestosis Diagnosis & Tests
• Asbestosis Treatment
• Asbestosis Prognosis
• Asbestosis Complications
• Asbestosis Support Groups
• Calling Your Health Care Provider
• Pictures & Images
Topics that might be of interest to you Diseases & Conditions
• Mesothelioma (Malignant)
• Pleural Effusion
Tests & Exams
• ACE Levels
• Chest X-Ray
• Pulmonary Function Tests
• Thoracic CT
Other Topics
• Auscultation
• Breathing Difficulty
• Chest Pain
• Clubbing of the Fingers or Toes
• Cough
• Incidence
• Lung Disease - Resources
• Nail Abnormalities
• Percussion
• Resources
• Respiratory
• Stress and Anxiety
Review Date : 5/7/2003
Reviewed By : David A. Kaufman, M.D., Pulmonary & Critical Care Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.
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