These scars can interfere with lung function, for they block the transport of oxygen from the air in the lungs into the blood vessels that travel through the lungs.
Many victims die of pneumonia, heart failure or suffocation.
Usually appears 20-40 years after exposure. When asbestos fibers are inhaled, they may become stuck in the lung and injure the lung tissue. They may also stick through the lung to the lining of the lung and cause injury or disease there. Once the fibers work their way into the lungs, they tend to stay there forever. Later, the symptoms increase in severity.