Asbestosis, as is the case with other asbestos related disorders, is a condition which arises through the inhalation of asbestos fibers. After continued and prolonged exposure to these fibers, the lungs eventually begin to accumulate the fibers causing scar tissue to form as the fibers cut into the healthy lung tissue. The harmful effects of asbestos were not known for a long time due to the fact that asbestos related illnesses rarely show up right away and, instead, typically remain dormant for between 20 to 30 years. It is then that the symptoms may begin to present themselves. These symptoms typically include shortness of breath, trouble breathing, pain in the chest, and coughing. Asbestosis is, at times, difficult to diagnose because the symptoms begin to show up gradually, often taking months or years to develop fully. Initially, it is not uncommon for the symptoms to appear as those belonging to different, less serious, conditions. In fact, the symptoms of asbestosis are quite similar to those of asthma.

The life expectancy of an individual who has been diagnosed with asbestosis varies greatly depending on a number of factors. Although those solely suffering from this asbestos related disease are unlikely to die of the illness, asbestosis can prove fatal if the illness develops into a more serious condition such as mesothelioma.

One of the main factors in determining the life expectancy of an individual is how long and to what extent they were exposed to asbestos. In mild cases, it is not uncommon for a patient to exhibit few symptoms of the disease. However, a case in which a person was exposed repeatedly to asbestos fiber inhalation may display numerous side effects. The primary side effect, as well as the most dangerous, is decreased oxygen flow to the essential organs. If this were to occur, it is likely that the life span of that patient would dramatically decrease as the more oxygen deprived the body is, the less well it is able to function.

There are also a number of other factors which could have an impact on the life expectancy of a patient. One of the primary risk factors is smoking. Smoking has been known to exacerbate asbestos related diseases as well as increase the risk of lung cancer and other disorders such as emphysema which would hinder an individual’s ability to breathe. This would, therefore, even further decrease the amount of oxygen getting to the body’s organs. Along the same lines, asthma is another condition which could potentially decrease life expectancy as this too would decrease the amount of oxygen in the body. A third major problem which can decrease the life span of a person with asbestosis is the weakening of the immune system. This can occur over time in asbestosis patients and it makes the body more susceptible to other, lesser, conditions. Once these conditions are caught, it is almost impossible of the body to rid itself of it and oftentimes the body contracts something far worse. A common example of this is the common cold which, with a weaker immune system, can easily transform into pneumonia. Pneumonia consists of the lungs filling with fluid, again decreasing the amount of available oxygen.

As previously mentioned, it is not the disease itself that proves fatal. However, it is all too easy for the disease to evolve into a more deadly condition. One of the most common conditions which can result from asbestosis is mesothelioma. As of today, there is no cure for mesothelioma and patients rarely live beyond two years after diagnosis, usually succumbing far earlier to the cancer.