Asbestosis is a respiratory disease caused by exposure to asbestos. When asbestos is disturbed, particles of fibers and dust become airborne. These airborne particles are inhaled and become lodged in a person’s lungs. There, their presence triggers the body’s immune system. As the body can’t expel the foreign body, it tries to isolate these particles and wrap them in scar tissue. Asbestosis has no know cure, however there are three main treatment options available to minimize the discomfort of the symptoms. These treatments options are:

Traditional Therapies are the most common treatments and include, oxygen supplementation for the shortness of breath, surgery to remove tumors that are a result of the asbestos exposure (removal can reduce symptom pain and extend life expectancy) and the third treatment is chemotherapy and radiation. This last treatment option is known to shrink tumors, and/or slow their growth as well as complement surgical treatment.

There are as part of the traditional treatments many medications that can help alleviate some of the patient’s symptoms, help alleviate their pain and prolong their life. These include: antibiotics to stop infections, oxygen as a supplement, bronchodilators for inhalation therapy (the goal here is to open the bronchial tubes as wide as they can go) and a drug called Serrapeptase. This medicine works well for removing inflammation, mucous and scar tissue from the lungs. Generally, this is given at a rate of three tablets, three times a day on an empty stomach. As there is improvement, the dose is slowly reduced down to one tablet once a day.

Non-traditional Treatments are used by non-medical practitioners and also include treatments from another country. This category often includes complementary treatments that are used at the same time as traditional treatments.

Acupuncture is an ancient Chinese traditional medicine and has only been recently recognized in the western world as an effective pain treatment. Meditation is a wonderful method of reducing a patient’s stress and pain levels. It’s occasionally recommended by physicians to help boost the patient’s immune functions. Herbs have helped many patients with asbestosis. Some herbal treatments are designed to slow down the progression of the disease. Others can help correct imbalances and boost a patient’s immune system. Still others can help to increase the patient’s energy levels.

Palliative Care Treatments means the treatment is geared to help reducing a person’s suffering and to hopefully increase their quality of life. It does not attempt to ‘cure’ a disease. This type of treatment will include but won’t be limited to: pain management, help to improve breathing and surgeries to remove tumors if the end result will ease the patient’s suffering.

Most asbestosis patients find that a combination of the above treatment options work the best for them, giving them a chance at a longer and healthier life.