Asbestosis is a disease caused by exposure to high levels to asbestos, a dangerous mineral that can also result in mesothelioma, which is a deadly cancer. It is important for anyone that works or has worked with asbestos – and those that think they may have been exposed to asbestos particles through some other source – to familiarize themselves with the signs and the symptoms of asbestosis. When airborne asbestos fibers and dust are breathed in, because of the particle deposition asbestosis can occur. This is a disease that can result in scarring of lung tissue and can reduce breathing and lung capacity.

One thing to bear in mind is that diseases that are related to asbestos can have a very long latency period. This means that the symptoms of the disease may not manifest for several decades following exposure to asbestos. Many of the people that are now being diagnosed with asbestosis and other diseases that are related to asbestos are between the ages of fifty and seventy - those that worked with asbestos in decades gone by. Some of the symptoms that are associated with asbestosis include: difficulty breathing and shortness of breath, persistent cough, difficulties in performing physical activities, and chest pains.

Asbestosis - Who Is At Risk?

Asbestosis is a disease that can affect those exposed to asbestos at high levels. Most at risk are those exposed to higher levels of asbestos over a number of years. In most cases this means someone that worked with asbestos products for a fairly lengthy period of around ten years or more. However, asbestos exposure can also affect those exposed to it for a lesser period, as well as those that have been exposed to it in other ways other than through working with it.

Research has shown that asbestosis has sometimes affected family member of people that worked with this substance. This is because they may have inhaled the dust and fibers from the work clothes, skin, and hair of the worker over a period of time.

About the Author
Copyright 2005 Adam Jones is a medical researcher who runs www.Mesothelioma-and
Asbestos-Exposure.com. He keeps track of all the latest research on mesothelioma,
mesothelioma tests and the signs
and symptoms of asbestosis.