Asbestos is considered to be one of the most widespread carcinogens in the environment. The World He alth Organization (WHO) estimated that 125 million people worldwide are exposed to asbestos, and that asbestos-related occupational diseases cause over 107,000 people. deaths per year.

Contents:

  1. Asbestos - definition
  2. Asbestos and changes in the lungs
  3. Asbestos - symptoms of the disease
  4. Asbestos - the body's damage mechanism
  5. Asbestos and asbestosis
  6. Asbestosis - treatment

Asbestosis a group of minerals with a fibrous structure that makes them easy to spray when dry. In ancient times, it was called stone linen or cotton stone, because when thrown into a fire, it not only did not burn, but also became cleaner. Such fibers were made, among others, tablecloths and handkerchiefs. Taking advantage of its non-flammable properties, it was later added to fabrics for military coats, clothes for firefighters and theater curtains.

In our times, apart from asbestos roofing and facade panels, the following products were produced: plumbing pipes, heating nodes and chimney ducts, chutes, binders, roofing felt, gaskets in household appliances .Today it is known that asbestos is carcinogenic. It is deleted

Asbestos - definition

Asbestos is the general name for six fibrous varieties of minerals found in nature in the form of bundles of fibers. Their feature is high tensile strength, flexibility and resistance to chemical and physical factors. In nature, there are about 150 minerals that are fibrous and can separate into elastic fibers, i.e. fibrils, during the production process.

Asbestos is a poor conductor of heat and electricity and was therefore very widely used as an insulating material. It is also very resistant to fire. Asbestos-cement panels were used for roofing, facade and for the production of various types of pipes.

In 1997, the production of asbestos-containing materials was banned in Poland. Regulations were also introduced that strictly define the conditions for dismantling asbestos plates and their disposal. But the regulations themselves did not eliminate the dangers of inhaling asbestos dust.

Asbestos and changes in the lungs

The pathogenic effect of asbestos isas a result of inhalation of airborne fibers. The aggressiveness of asbestos dust is related to the degree of penetration and the amount of fibers that accumulate in the lower part of the respiratory system. The occurrence of changes in the lungs depends on the intensity and duration of exposure to the toxic substance.

Medical statistics show that after 10-19 years of employment with asbestos, changes in the lungs occur in 10% of people. After 20-29 years, 73% of employees have them, and after 40 years of working with asbestos, they concern as much as 92% of employees.

From a medical point of view, it is important that the first symptoms of lung damage may appear even after several years. This is due not only to the aforementioned exposure time and fiber length, but also to the individual's ability to cleanse the respiratory system.

Lung lesions following asbestos exposure appear to be interstitial inflammation and fibrosis. There is an accumulation of macrophages and proliferation of type II pneumocytes.

Asbestos - symptoms of the disease

The first symptom of lung disease caused by inhaling asbestos dust is usually the feeling of breathlessness with exercise. It is often accompanied by coughing and wheezing. Some people cough up sputum.

Auscultation shows rales at the base of the lungs. Obstruction may also occur.

After the chest X-ray, the picture shows small fibro-nodular changes, mainly in the lower parts of the lungs. Lesions are also visible in the pleura.

The prognosis for people with lung lesions after asbestos exposure is uncertain. This is because there is a high risk of developing lung cancer and pleural mesothelioma.

Exposure to asbestos dust, as some studies suggest, may also cause cancer of the larynx, as well as ovarian, stomach, kidney, intestine, pancreatic, and lymphoma cancer.

Asbestos - the body's damage mechanism

The generic term asbestos refers to six minerals that are fibrous in nature and that can easily be sprayed when dry. This is why asbestos dust can enter the body through the respiratory or digestive system.

Some scholars claim that asbestos, in addition to being very harmful, can also be a carrier of carcinogenic metals, such as:

  • chrome
  • arsenic
  • lead
  • cadmium
  • nickel
  • beryl
  • aluminum

Check:
Heavy metal poisoning - symptoms, causes, treatment

But the harmfulness of asbestos depends primarily on the diameter and length of the inhaled fibers.Thicker ones can be removed from the upper respiratory tract by expectoration or spitting out. The tiniest fibers destroy the immune system.

The most dangerous are long (>5 µm) and thin (<3 µm) fibers, which easily penetrate deeper and remain in the alveoli, irritating them constantly. In this way, they initiate chronic inflammation, the consequence of which is the increased production of free oxygen radicals. In such a situation, pathological changes can easily occur, especially when the defense mechanism is weakened and it does not scavenge free radicals.

If exposure to inhalation of asbestos dust lasts for years, the havoc can be enormous not only in the lungs, but throughout the body. Fibrotic lungs do not work properly, so they do not provide all the cells with the right amount of oxygen.

Asbestos and asbestosis

Asbestosis is pneumoconiosis. It is a consequence of the inhalation of asbestos dust and leads to diffuse fibrosis of the interstitial lung tissue and the development of chronic respiratory disease. Asbestosis is classified as an occupational disease.

The symptom of asbestosis is primarily shortness of breath during exercise and the so-called general feeling of being unwell. In most cases, the disease leads to respiratory failure.

Its symptom is not only difficulty breathing, but also a discoloration of the skin that becomes bluish. The fingers of the hand are deformed and have a very characteristic hammer shape.

The consequence of asbestosis may also be a neoplastic disease in the form of pleural mesothelioma, lung cancer or renal cell carcinoma.

Asbestosis - treatment

So far, no specific treatment of asbestosis has been developed. Usually, treatment is tailored to the patient's state of he alth. However, it is worth remembering that the patient must cooperate with the doctor in order to maintain or improve the quality of life.

Patients with asbestosis should stop smoking, get vaccinated against influenza and pnuemococcus, avoid contact with sick people during the period of severe flu-like infections, carefully treat all infections and regularly check their he alth.

Work that exposes the respiratory system to inhalation of any dust is prohibited (eg in a bakery). It is also necessary to avoid contact with materials that may contain asbestos, e.g. asbestos.

About the authorAnna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Złoty OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category,St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.

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