Working with asbestos or in an environment known to have asbestos contamination can lead to serious and life-threatening medical issues years later. Asbestos has a strong correlation with lung cancer and the devastating cancer of the organ linings called mesothelioma.
Another chronic condition that develops because of asbestos exposure is asbestosis. Asbestosis can affect the lungs and leave someone struggling to perform job responsibilities or daily tasks around their homes.
What are the warning signs of asbestosis that you should watch out for following workplace asbestos exposure?
Asbestosis affects more than just the lungs
The symptoms of asbestosis are often easy to ignore at first or to attribute to another cause. Shortness of breath and a dry cough, for example, could have numerous causes. The same is true of chest tightness and pain.
Two telltale signs that may make asbestosis easier to diagnose are “rales” and, in severe cases, “clubbing.” Rales manifest as dry, crackling sounds coming from your lungs during inhalation. They are persistent and do not clear after coughing or clearing of the throat. Clubbing of the digits (fingers or toes) occurs in advanced asbestosis as a result of insufficient oxygen in the blood. Fingers and toes take on a club-like appearance, bulging wider and rounder.
All too often, people overlook those early symptoms or wait to see if they will go away on their own. These people may assume because it has been 10 years or more since their workplace asbestos exposure that their risk of developing a medical condition is low. However, asbestosis often doesn’t present symptoms until decades after someone’s workplace exposure.
If you or a loved one worked with asbestos, you need to monitor yourself continually and make sure that any medical professional who evaluates you for respiratory symptoms knows about your previous workplace exposure.
Asbestosis can affect your daily life and career
If you develop asbestosis before you retire, you may find yourself struggling to keep your job and in need of both medical care and wage replacement benefits. Even if it develops after your retirement, the cost of medical care alone can be a serious issue for those with asbestosis.
Thankfully, asbestos claims can help those coping with severe illnesses related to asbestos exposure. Even if your former employer has since gone out of business, there may be sources of compensation (asbestos product manufacturers and asbestos trusts) that can help you cover medical costs. Recognizing the warning signs of asbestosis and other asbestos-related illnesses will help you get both the treatment and the compensation you deserve.