Other symptoms can include shortness of breath, persistent chest pains, hoarseness and anemia. People who have been exposed to asbestos and who smoke have a significantly greater risk of developing lung cancer than people who have only been exposed to asbestos. One study found that asbestos workers who smoke are 90 times more likely to develop lung cancer than people who neither smoke nor have been exposed to asbestos. Asbestos fibers which have been inhaled aggravate lung tissues, causing them to scar. Asbestosis is a chronic disease of the lungs which makes breathing progressively more difficult and can lead to death.
Symptoms can include shortness of breath and a dry crackling sound from the lungs while inhaling.
There is no effective treatment for asbestosis and the disease can be disabling or fatal. The risk of asbestosis is small for those who do not work with asbestos. Those who built, repaired, renovated or demolished buildings with asbestos may be at risk, depending on the nature of the exposure and what workplace precautions were taken. The pleura is a set of thin membranes that line the chest cavity. This lining provides a lubricated, friction-free surface for the lungs to expand and contract against.