Lung fibrosis is a disease characterized by scarring in the interstitium – the space between the alveoli (lung vesicles) of the lung. This lethal disease is also known by the name of pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial fibrosis, and interstitial pulmonary disease (ILD). Lung fibrosis caused by asbestos is asbestosis.
Causes of pulmonary fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis occurs when inflammation occurs in the space between the scar tissue formation cells, curing of the lung, and its ability to transport oxygen. This can be done for many reasons, including infections, drug effects, heart failure, sarcoidosis, cancer radiation, genetics, allergic reactions, and diseases of collagen or connective tissue such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic sclerosis. This can also be caused by asbestos. Some findings suggest that it can be caused by the action of erionite. (Erionite is a similar mineral asbestos).
Asbestosis – Lung fibrosis caused by Asbestexposition
In case of pulmonary fibrosis caused by asbestos, it is called asbestosis. This disease is not to be confused with pleural mesothelioma (malignant mesothelioma in the lining of the lungs), although some people with asbestosis later develop mesothelioma. As mesothelioma, asbestosis is caused by inhalation of asbestos fibers so small that the lungs can not filter; These fibers are inserted into the pulmonary tissue, often with fatal consequences.
Symptoms and diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis
Dry cough and dyspnea during exercise are the two most common symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis caused by exposure to asbestos. Since these symptoms are common to many types of interstitial pulmonary disease, physicians should perform a series of tests before a patient is diagnosed with asbestosis. These may include blood tests, breast radiographs, CT scans, lung function tests, lung biopsy, bronchoscopy and bronchial lavage. These tests can show plaques or thickening of the membranes of the lung (pleural plaques and pleural thickening, respectively), indicating a disgrace, but not necessarily asbestosis. The presence of bleach is a better indication of asbestosis.
Treatment of pulmonary fibrosis
The treatment of pulmonary fibrosis by asbestos can help to prevent inflammation inhibitors and oxygen including it. The excessive accumulation of fluid (pleural effusion) can be treated with a procedure called pleural puncture. Your doctor can provide you with information on the most specific treatment for your condition.
Lung fibrosis against mesothelioma
Although lung fibrosis and mesothelioma are caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers, diseases are very different in nature. Lung fibrosis can be fatal, but it is not a form of cancer, and mesothelioma is a cancer in the lining of a body organ.
As a result, the symptoms of lung fibrosis and mesothelioma symptoms are similar but not necessarily the same, and treatment for both diseases often varies. Because mesothelioma is a type of cancer, mesothelioma treatment can include irradiation and chemotherapy. This is not the case with lung fibrosis.
The prognosis for patients with lung fibrosis varies, but the prognosis for mesothelioma is still dark; Most mesothelioma patients succumb to the disease within a year.
Lung fibrosis procedures
If you or a loved one have been diagnosed with lung fibrosis and mesothelioma related to asbestos, you can consider your legal options. These devastating diseases are almost always the result of the inhalation of asbestexposition, which is often responsible for the negligence of another person in handling. For more information on the legal implications of lung fibrosis, talk to a lawyer as soon as possible.
