Serious Symptoms Of Asbestosis

Shortness Of Breath

Shortness of breath describes when an individual feels they cannot take in enough air to catch their breath, or fill up their lungs with air sufficiently. This symptom develops when the individual experiences an increased thickness of the pleura. The pleura is a series of membranes that surround the lungs and line their inner chest wall. In healthy individuals, a small amount of fluid is present in the pleura to lubricate the tissues of the lungs and the chest wall. Pleural thickening is what causes an individual to experience shortness of breath. The longtime presence of the asbestos fibers in the lungs can cause the pleura to become abnormally thick, scarred, and to accumulate extra fluids. When the pleura becomes thicker than normal, the lungs are unable to expand to hold the same volume of air than they would be able to otherwise.

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Clubbing Of The Fingers And Toes

Clubbing of the fingers and toes refers to a deformity where an individual has increased nail roundness and widening of the nails. They may also exhibit an increased angle between the nails and cuticles as well as downward curving of their nails. Clubbing of the nails and toes can cause softening of the nail beds, making the nails feel as if they are floating. The tips of the toes and fingers may bulge outward or become enlarged. These structural abnormalities that develop in asbestosis patients may be accompanied by warmth and redness. Clubbing of the fingers and toes can develop in an affected individual over several years or in a matter of a few months. This symptom occurs in individuals affected by asbestosis for reasons that are currently not clear but thought to be associated with the activation of certain components in the bloodstream that produce changes in the nail bed.

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