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Since asbestosis can take upwards of 20 to 30 years to develop, symptoms might not appear until long after initial exposure. Once the lungs have been damaged, however, the effects cannot be reversed. As such, treatment begins with the immediate elimination of all contact with asbestos. This will halt the progression of lung damage and, if scarring has yet to occur, prevent it.
If symptoms are present, indicating asbestosis, the complete cessation of smoking will help reduce the risk of any further damage to the already weakened lungs. Possible complications can include lung cancer and emphysema, the risk of which is much greater due to the asbestosis. -
With asbestosis, the weakened state of the lungs makes the severity of a common cold or the flu much greater. As such, receiving flu and pneumonia vaccines may be recommended to lower the risk of contracting a virus that might make breathing much more difficult. In addition, antibiotics such as Keflex and Ceclor may be prescribed to prevent the chance of a respiratory infection occurring.
Possible side effects of asbestosis include pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure), which can be treated with blood pressure medication. Narrow or thin blood vessels may require the use of medications designed to thin the blood to allow it to move through the vessels with ease. Other medications can be prescribed to reduce the thickness of lung secretions, which would make it easier to breathe.
Chest or associated pain can be alleviated through over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen. -
Many other non-drug related methods exist to help treat asbestosis, particularly bronchial secretions. Excessive coughing can be treated through mist humidifiers, which can thin and loosen secretions, and chest percussion. Chest percussion involves hitting a cupped hand on the palm along certain spots on the rib cage to deliver a vibration strong enough to go through the chest cavity and into the lungs, and thus breaking up the thick secretions that accumulate in the lungs.
In the event that shortness of breath occurs, bronchodilators, taken either orally or inhaled, can be used. They work by opening the bronchial tubes, allowing air to flow more freely through the lung. In the event that the asbestosis is severe, oxygen supplements may be used in conjunction with bronchidilators. -
In some cases of asbestosis, surgery may be necessary to remove the fluid from the lungs in a procedure known as a thoracentesis. It involves the insertion of a hollow needle into the thoracic cavity, whereupon the fluid is sucked out. This process may also be used for diagnostic purposes as well.
Although rare, severe cases of asbestosis may require a lung transplant. This procedure is only done when no other methods of treatment have proven to be effective, or if the lung damage has become too great.
