While we primarily associate asbestos related lung disease with mesothelioma—that very specific cancer that attacks the pleural lining of the lungs as well as peritoneum and pericardium (linings of the abdomen and heart, respectively)—there are other ways asbestos exposure reveals its respiratory system damage.

Asbestos related lung disease may show up as lung cancer—a disease diagnosed in close to a quarter million U.S. citizens each year.

This is far more typical in situations where an individual was occupationally exposed or exposed in a second-hand manner by laundering the clothing of the worker and concurrently developed the habit of cigarette smoking. While ultimately the manufacturers of asbestos-containing products should be held liable for the lung cancer, it is not unheard of for these companies to blame the victim and point the finger at tobacco use as the cause.

Another asbestos related lung disease is asbestosis. Asbestosis is directly related to exposure to the deadly fibers used in numerous construction materials and engine parts. It consists of extensive lung scarring that has not yet developed into a malignancy.

Symptoms of the asbestos related lung disease asbestosis include chest pain along with a feeling of tightness and shortness of breath. According to Healthline, a continual dry cough, loss of appetite, and enlarged fingertips with fingernail abnormalities are also common symptoms. The asbestos related lung disease asbestosis is also known at times as pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial pneumonitis.

Lung scarring from asbestosis affects the body’s ability to thoroughly oxygenate an individual’s blood because the lung tissue doesn’t expand and contract as easily. Even if it never leads to full-blown malignancy, this fact can have a domino effect when it comes to a range of other health issues.

The Latency Period of Asbestos Related Lung Disease

When an individual is exposed to airborne asbestos fibers through inhalation, a few of the needle-like fibers can embed themselves into the lungs and pleura. It can take several decades for related diseases to be diagnosed once this occurs. This is known as the latency period.

Because of the time between exposure and diagnosis, statisticians are not expecting to see a decrease in asbestos related lung disease or other cancers for decades. Despite laws which aimed to control pervasive and new uses for the mined fibers in the 1970’s, asbestos is still in use today.

Older buildings often have asbestos-based insulation materials or roofing. If this becomes disturbed through renovation, or being cut or drilled, fibers become airborne and potentially dangerous.

Treatment for lung cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis is an imperfect combination of surgery, radiation, chemotherapy. Often since it develops slowly over decades, these diseases are very advanced by the time symptoms become debilitating enough to seek medical attention.

Because it becomes so advanced, the prognosis is rarely good. It is estimated 12-15,000 people succumb to asbestos-caused diseases in the U.S. each year. Most of these wrongful deaths were caused by occupational or military exposure 10-40 years prior.

Jobs where exposure was likely include roofers, plumbers, construction workers, and railroad workers to name a few.