Asbestosis Symptoms and Diagnosis

What Are the Symptoms of Asbestosis?

Long-term exposure to asbestos may not be noticed until 10 to 40 years after your initial exposure. The most common symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• Persistent, dry cough
• Chest tightness or chest pain
• Weight loss from loss of appetite
• A dry, crackling sound in the lungs while breathing in
• Clubbing, which looks like wider and rounder than normal fingertips and toes

How Is Asbestosis Diagnosed?

Asbestosis is usually diagnosed by a careful medical history, exposure history and chest X-ray or CT scan that shows scarring of the lung tissues. This information, along with breathing tests, helps your doctor determine how severe your asbestosis is and how well your lungs are functioning. Sometimes, a procedure to examine a sample of the lungs, called a bronchoscopy, is recommended to help clinicians confirm a diagnosis.

If you have a history of exposure to asbestos and you're experiencing increasing shortness of breath, you should contact your primary care doctor about the possibility of asbestosis. They will likely refer you to a pulmonologist. During the visit, your provider will ask about your breathing, both at rest and during exercise. They will also ask about your job history in detail to determine how much you were exposed to asbestos. It is a good idea to prepare the following information in advance:

• Your symptoms and when they started
• Treatment for the symptoms and how they helped
• The work you have done during your career, the length of time you spent in each job and the nature of the work you performed
• The products you were in contact with at work or home, and if you wore protective equipment
• Your history of tobacco exposure
• Medical records, including chest X-rays or CT scans

During the physical examination, your doctor will listen to your lungs to determine if they sound normal. Your doctor may then order the following tests:

• Chest X-ray
• CT scan
• Lung function test

Questions to Ask Your Healthcare Provider

Writing down questions to ask your healthcare provider can help prepare you for your appointment. You may want to ask some of the following questions:

• How advanced is my disease?
• What is the best treatment for my condition?
• What medications will I be given and what are the side effects?
• Are there any activities that I need to change or avoid to prevent worsening of my condition?
• Would pulmonary rehabilitation be a good idea for me?
• Do I need supplemental oxygen?
• How much experience do you have managing asbestosis, and should I talk to a specialist?
• Will I need a lung transplant?
• Is anyone in my family at risk?
• My home/office has asbestos insulation. Will it cause further lung problems?