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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffThe effects of long-term exposure to asbestos typically don't show up for at least 20 to 30 years after initial exposure, and sometimes longer. Signs and symptoms develop when damage and scarring caused by the asbestos fibers lead to stiffness in your lung tissue so that your lungs can't contract and expand normally (a form of pulmonary fibrosis). Once exposure to asbestos is stopped, however, the fibrosis stops progressing in the majority of cases.
Some asbestosis symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath, initially only with exertion, but eventually even while resting
- Decreased tolerance for physical activity
- Coughing
- Chest pain
- Finger deformity (clubbing) in some cases
Although most of these signs and symptoms are similar to those of other breathing disorders, such as asthma, the way in which they develop is different. In asbestosis the effects of the disease occur over months and years.
When to see a doctor
If you have a history of exposure to asbestos and you're experiencing increasing shortness of breath, talk to your doctor about the possibility of asbestosis. If it is asbestosis, your doctor may be able to prescribe treatment to relieve your symptoms. It's unlikely that the disease will progress after removal from exposure.
- O'Reilly KM. Asbestos-related lung disease. American Family Physician. 2007;75:683.
- Cowie, RL, et al. Asbestos-related fibrosis of the lungs (asbestosis). In:
- Mason, RJ, et al. Murray & Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine 4th ed. St. Louis, Mo.: W.B. Saunders; 2005:1748.
- Asbestos-related disorders. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec05/ch057/ch057c.html. Accessed Nov. 16, 2008.
- Asbestos exposure: Questions and answers. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Risk/asbestos. Accessed Nov. 16, 2008.
- What are the risk factors for malignant mesothelioma? American Cancer Society. http://www.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/content/CRI_2_4_2X_What_are_the_risk_factors_for_malignant_mesothelioma_29.asp. Accessed Nov. 16, 2008.
- Asbestos exposure. Family Practice Notebook. http://www.fpnotebook.com/Lung/Asbestos/AsbstsExpsr.htm. Accessed Nov. 16, 2008.
- Asbestos: General information. Agency for Toxic Substances & Disease Registry. http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/asbestos/health_effects/index.html. Accessed Nov. 16, 2008.
- Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Nov. 23, 2008.
