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Asbestosis

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Reviewed/Revised Mar 2023
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What is asbestosis?

Asbestos is a mineral fiber used in construction materials. Asbestosis is scarring of your lungs caused by breathing in asbestos dust.

What causes asbestosis?

Breathing in asbestos dust causes asbestosis. When inhaled, the asbestos dust sits deep in your lungs and causes scars.

The more you come in contact with asbestos, the more likely you’ll get asbestosis. If you aren’t in contact with asbestos at your job, you have a very low chance of getting asbestosis. People who work with asbestos a lot have the highest chance of asbestosis, for example, people who tear down buildings and miners who dig up minerals that contain asbestos.

What are the symptoms of asbestosis?

Symptoms appear slowly and only after large parts of your lungs have become scarred.

Early symptoms can include:

Later symptoms can include:

How can doctors tell if I have asbestosis?

How do doctors treat asbestosis?

There's no cure for asbestosis. Doctors treat symptoms with:

How can I prevent asbestosis?

NOTE: This is the Consumer Version. DOCTORS: VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION
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