Based on Your Reading:
Get Your Free Mesothelioma Guide
Find a Top Mesothelioma Doctor
Access Help Paying for Treatment
Asbestosis Treatment Options
Table Of Contents
Asbestosis is an irreversible condition. Treatment options focus on relieving symptoms, slowing the progression of the disease and avoiding complications. Medication and breathing treatments are the two most common treatments for asbestosis. Surgery is sometimes recommended to relieve symptoms and provide pain relief.
Written by Karen Selby, RN • Edited By Walter Pacheco • Scientifically Reviewed By Arti Shukla, Ph.D.
Fact Checked
Our fact-checking process begins with a thorough review of all sources to ensure they are high quality. Then we cross-check the facts with original medical or scientific reports published by those sources, or we validate the facts with reputable news organizations, medical and scientific experts and other health experts. Each page includes all sources for full transparency.
Reviewed
Asbestos.com is the nation’s most trusted mesothelioma resource
The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com has provided patients and their loved ones the most updated and reliable information on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure since 2006.
Our team of Patient Advocates includes a medical doctor, a registered nurse, health services administrators, veterans, VA-accredited Claims Agents, an oncology patient navigator and hospice care expert. Their combined expertise means we help any mesothelioma patient or loved one through every step of their cancer journey.
More than 30 contributors, including mesothelioma doctors, survivors, health care professionals and other experts, have peer-reviewed our website and written unique research-driven articles to ensure you get the highest-quality medical and health information.
About The Mesothelioma Center at Asbestos.com
- Assisting mesothelioma patients and their loved ones since 2006.
- Helps more than 50% of mesothelioma patients diagnosed annually in the U.S.
- A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau.
- 5-star reviewed mesothelioma and support organization.
Testimonials
My family has only the highest compliment for the assistance and support that we received from The Mesothelioma Center. This is a staff of compassionate and knowledgeable individuals who respect what your family is experiencing and who go the extra mile to make an unfortunate diagnosis less stressful. Information and assistance were provided by The Mesothelioma Center at no cost to our family.LashawnMesothelioma patient’s daughter
How to Cite Asbestos.com’s Article
APA
Selby, K. (2023, July 21). Asbestosis Treatment Options. Asbestos.com. Retrieved April 24, 2024, from https://www.asbestos.com/asbestosis/treatment/
MLA
Selby, Karen. "Asbestosis Treatment Options." Asbestos.com, 21 Jul 2023, https://www.asbestos.com/asbestosis/treatment/.
Chicago
Selby, Karen. "Asbestosis Treatment Options." Asbestos.com. Last modified July 21, 2023. https://www.asbestos.com/asbestosis/treatment/.
How Is Asbestosis Treated?
Treatments focus on a patient’s ability to breathe without distress. Asbestosis is caused by an inhalation of asbestos fibers and is a lung disease that, over time, creates labored and painful breathing. Lung tissues that are scarred from embedded fibers impede the natural breathing process.
Doctors often prescribe inhalers and medications like bronchodilators, aspirin and antibiotics to help those diagnosed with asbestosis. In some patients, treatments such as a humidifier, oxygen therapy, chest percussion or postural drainage may also be recommended to relieve symptoms of chest congestion, tightness and difficulty breathing. If a patient’s symptoms are so severe that medications don’t work, a doctor may recommend surgery to remove scar tissue.
Quick Fact:
Patients with asbestosis should avoid smoking, as numerous medical studies show that smoking tobacco accelerates and worsens asbestosis.
Medications
Doctors may recommend a number of medications to help with breathing and the discomfort that comes with asbestosis. Common medications include over-the-counter cough drops and cough syrups. Those can be supplanted, if needed, with prescription-strength products.
Common medications for asbestosis treatment include:
- Bronchodilators (inhalers)
Typically prescribed for patients with asthma, inhalers help relax the airway muscles and may provide relief. Some of the most common brands prescribed include Maxair, Ventolin, Serevent, Proventil, Primatene, Accu-Hale and Xopenex.
- Medications to thin secretions
There are a number of medications that can thin secretions and open up airways. One is Gauifenesin, which makes it easier to cough. Staying well hydrated by drinking water is still the most effective intervention to accomplish this.
- Supplemental oxygen
To help with breathing and getting more air into the lungs, oxygen may be prescribed. Oxygen is transferred from a tank through a plastic tube that has two prongs that fit into your nostrils.
- Antibiotics
If surgery is performed for asbestosis, antibiotics may be prescribed to treat or reduce the risk of infection.
- Pain medications
Aspirin and Tylenol can be effective in reducing pain and inflammation caused by asbestosis. A doctor may prescribe stronger pain medication if these do not provide relief from chest pain and other symptoms.
Corticosteroids (anti-inflammatory medication) and immunosuppressants, which are typically prescribed when treating lung diseases, are largely ineffective in the treatment of asbestosis symptoms. Asbestosis is a disease which is more about the scarring, rather than the inflammation that it produces. Corticosteroids and immunosuppressants reduce inflammation.
Surgery
In certain circumstances, surgery may be recommended for asbestosis. In rare cases, a doctor may recommend a lung transplant.
The goal of asbestosis surgeries is to relieve symptoms and provide pain relief. One likely surgical procedure is a thoracentesis, which drains excess fluid from the lungs, releasing the pressure in the lungs and making it easier to breathe. (Pleural effusion, which refers to excess fluid in the lungs, is a common symptom of asbestosis.)
Diagnostic Surgery
Doctors typically diagnose asbestosis with X-rays and CT scans, but there are times when a doctor may order a biopsy to rule out mesothelioma or another lung tumor. This is likely to happen when a patient’s X-ray shows a lesion or nodule that may be cancerous. If the doctor is not able to determine whether the lesion is cancerous from the films alone, they may choose to perform a biopsy to obtain a sample of the tumor for testing.
Pathologists get tissue samples several different ways, including:
- Needle aspiration
The doctor will insert a hollow needle into the chest and into the tumor to remove a section of the tissue.
- Thoracentesis
The doctor inserts a hollow needle through the chest wall and into the space between the lungs and the chest to withdraw a sample of the fluid.
- Mediastinoscopy
The doctor will take tissue samples along the windpipe through an incision in the neck.
Doctors may also perform a biopsy in patients with asbestosis who have a higher risk of also developing lung cancer or mesothelioma.
Thoracentesis as a Palliative Treatment
While thoracentesis can help a doctor diagnose the presence of lung cancer or mesothelioma, the procedure may also have a palliative use in the treatment of asbestosis. Sometimes asbestosis can cause or be accompanied by pleural effusion (the collection of fluid between the chest wall and the lungs). This excess fluid compresses the lungs and makes it difficult and painful to breathe. Removing the fluid can relieve chest pain and allow the lungs to work more efficiently.
Thoracentesis is usually an outpatient treatment and is the most common and least invasive way of withdrawing this buildup of fluid.
Lung Transplant
In the most severe cases, a doctor may decide that a lung transplant is warranted. Lung transplantation is the removal of one or both lungs that are then replaced with a lung harvested from a deceased donor.
Lung transplants are most often considered when the asbestosis is accompanied by more severe lung diseases such as emphysema or lung cancer. The transplant process is a long and involved one that may make it unsuitable for many asbestosis patients. In order to be considered for a lung transplant, a patient will have to undergo extensive tests and screening to determine the relative chances of a successful transplant. It is a last-resort treatment.
Alternative Treatments
Some patients also find relief through alternative medical treatments such as acupuncture, massage therapy, and homeopathic medicine. While none of these treatments offers a cure for asbestosis, many of them do offer relief from pain, reduction of inflammation, and an increase in pulmonary function.
The most common alternative treatments for asbestosis include:
- Acupuncture
- Meditation
- Massage Therapy
- Nutrition
- Herbal Medicine
- Homeopathic Medicine
Get Free Recipes for Mesothelioma Patients
Get Compensation You Deserve
Connect with a Top Specialist
