Symptoms and Complications
If you experience symptoms of asbestosis, this may well mean that many scars have formed in your lungs. The lungs lose their elasticity, or ability to fill up properly with oxygen; thus the first symptoms are shortness of breath and increased breathlessness when exercising. Progressive worsening in your breathing and other symptoms such as cough and wheeze (more in smokers) may develop. You may display what is known as clubbing of the fingertips (they thicken and enlarge), or develop a blue color under your nails and a bluish tinge around your mouth. Even brief exposure to asbestos at some time in the past will dramatically increase the risk of developing mesothelioma - a rare, fatal cancer of the chest lining and abdomen.
Some research has also shown that asbestos causes an increased risk of developing cancers of the esophagus, stomach, intestines, and rectum. This may be related to the swallowing of asbestos fibers that were inhaled and then coughed up from the lungs. If you are a smoker who has been exposed to asbestos over the long term, your likelihood of developing lung cancer is greatly increased, especially if you smoke more than one pack of cigarettes a day. It appears that there is a "dose-response relationship" between asbestos exposure, smokers, and lung cancer: the greater the exposure when smoking, the higher the risk of cancer.