Asbestosis is a disease that affects the lungs and it is caused by inhaling asbestos fibres. it is a breathing disorder produced by the accumulation of asbestos particles in your lungs which eventually can cause fibrosis of the lung tissues.

Generally, the symptoms and signs related to this disease appear many years after the exposure. Once the condition is apparent, it often gets worse and can cause the death of the person.

The consequences of exposure to asbestos usually appear after 20 or 30 years from exposure. The symptoms of asbestosis develop because the damage produced by the asbestos particles causes stiffness in the lungs tissue. In this way, the lungs cannot work properly and their contraction and expansion activity is affected. This is considered a type of pulmonary fibrosis.

The signs and symptoms that characterize asbestosis are shortness of breath. At the first stages of the disease this problem appears when doing physical exercises but then it affects the person even when resting. There is a decrease in the capacity for physical activity. Other symptoms include coughing, chest pain and in some cases fingers and toes clubbing. There is a general state of ill feeling and patients experience loss of appetite.

The symptoms and signs are not specific but they develop differently. It is important to remember that asbestosis is a chronic disease and once the symptoms appear they get worse. On the other hand, as asbestosis does not advance quickly , once it is diagnosed the doctor has time to treat it.