Asbestosis

Asbestosis is a rare but serious lung condition that affects people exposed to asbestos (a building material used from the 1950s to the 1990s). It cannot be cured, but treatment may improve the symptoms.

You may be able to claim compensation if you get asbestosis.

Symptoms of asbestosis

Symptoms of asbestosis include:

• shortness of breath
• persistent cough
• wheezing
• extreme tiredness (fatigue)
• pain in your chest or shoulder
• in more advanced cases, clubbed (swollen) fingertips

It can take 20 to 30 years after being exposed to asbestos before symptoms appear.

There are sometimes no symptoms.

Causes of asbestosis

Asbestosis is caused by exposure to asbestos.

You may have been exposed to asbestos if you worked in an industry such as building or construction, particularly from the 1950s to the 1990s.

You could be exposed to asbestos today if your job involves working in certain roles in old buildings.

Examples include:

• heating and ventilation engineers
• demolition workers
• plumbers
• construction workers
• electricians

See a GP if:

• you have symptoms of asbestosis and think you've been exposed to asbestos

Tests for asbestosis

A GP will listen to your lungs and ask about your work history.

They may refer you to a specialist in lung diseases for more tests if they think you might have asbestosis.

Tests may include:

• a chest X-ray
• a CT scan of the lungs
• lung function tests to see how well your lungs are working

Treatment for asbestosis

There's no cure for asbestosis once it has developed, as it's not possible to reverse the damage to the lungs.

But some treatments can help, including:

• pulmonary rehabilitation – a programme of exercises and education to help manage your symptoms
• oxygen therapy – breathing in oxygen-rich air from a machine or tank to help improve breathlessness if your blood oxygen levels are low
• using an inhaler to ease breathing (if your symptoms are mild)

Things you can do to help with asbestosis

If you have asbestosis, there are things you can do to help ease the symptoms and lower your chances of getting infections.

Do

• try to quit smoking if you smoke – your symptoms may get worse if you smoke, and it increases the risk of lung cancer

• get the flu vaccination and the pneumococcal vaccination – this reduces your chance of getting an infection that affects your lungs