| By :
Wendy Moyer
Asbestosis is a disease that is caused by the inhalation of asbestos fibers. Asbestos fibers that enter the lung and then scar tissue there causes asbestosis. There are two types of asbestos fibers - amphibole and chrysotile. Although the inhalation of amphiboles are more likely to cause malignant mesothelioma, the inhalation of either these fibers or chrysotile fibers can cause asbestotis. The most common symptoms include difficulty breathing and coughing. As the disease progresses it becomes more difficult for the victim to breathe. The symptoms of this disease often do not appear until twenty to forty years after a person has first been exposed to asbestos. As with other chronic lung diseases, patients who have asbestosis have a higher risk of serious infection, heart failure, and low levels of oxygen in their blood. And if they have any bacterial or viral infections they tend to recover more slowly than those who do not have the disease. In addition, asbestosis patients may be subject to increased risks of certain infections and fungal diseases that are common to people who have scarred or diseased lung tissue. Although there isn't any cure for asbestosis, patients are routinely given pneumococcal and flu vaccinations. In addition, depending on the person's needs, supplemental oxygen may be prescribed during exercise, or even while they are at rest¬¬¬. Do you have asbestosis? Are you a smoker? If you suffer from asbestosis and you smoke then the best thing you can do for yourself is to stop smoking. Here are some tips that will make the process easier: 1. Set a definite date to quit smoking. If any of your friends still smoke see if you can agree to stop together on the same day. 2. Observe what motivates you to smoke. Try to figure out what you do from one day to the next when you smoke. It could be having a cup of coffee or drinking an alcoholic beverage. 3. Change your smoking routine. Put your cigarettes in different places in your home. If you smoke with your right hand hold the cigarette in your left hand, and vice-versa. Think about the way you feel when you smoke. When you smoke - only smoke - don't do anything else. 4. Decide to smoke in a certain place, maybe outside. 5. Wait several minutes when you feel like having a cigarette. While you are waiting try to do something else such as having a glass of water or chewing a stick of gum. 6. Switch brands of cigarettes to one you don't like and only buy one package of cigarettes at a time. Do whatever you can to make it more difficult to have and enjoy your cigarettes.
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