COPD is a group of breathing diseases that can be aggravated by asbestos exposure.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a related group of respiratory conditions that includes emphysema and bronchitis. COPD is a progressive illness, which means that its symptoms typically worsen with time. 

COPD affects millions, but not all know that it can be linked to asbestos.

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Si es posible que haya estado expuesto al asbesto, hable con su proveedor de atención médica sobre pruebas y exámenes para ayudar a detectar la presencia de fibras de enfermedades relacionadas con el asbesto.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COPD affects more than 16 million adults across the United States. It is a leading cause of both disability and death.

COPD has a variety of potential causes, but most people who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have a history of cigarette smoking. However, tobacco use is not the only risk factor for this disease. Experts believe that exposure to environmental hazards, including air pollution and asbestos contamination, could also cause or contribute to its development. 

While scientists have yet to determine whether asbestos exposure can cause COPD by itself, a growing body of evidence suggests that asbestos exposure could—at the very least—increase an individual’s lifetime chance of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 

Understanding Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a respiratory condition characterized by obstructed airflow to and from the lungs. 

However, COPD is not a single disease. It is, instead, a diagnostic label that can encompass several different illnesses. In the United States, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease typically includes las siguientes condiciones: 

  • Emphysema. Emphysema can develop when there is significant damage to the walls between the air sacs of the lungs. People who have emphysema have weaker air sacs and may struggle breathing. 
  • Chronic bronchitis. Chronic bronchitis, or long-term bronchitis, is the inflammation of the interior lining of the bronchial tubes, which carry air to and from the lungs. Bronchitis can cause frequent and intense fits of coughing. 

Some physicians believe that asthma should also be considered a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. However, there is no uniform consensus on its categorization. 

The Symptoms of COPD

Since COPD is a progressive illness, it may not present with any symptoms—at least not immediately. If it does, then they may be mild and only scarcely noticeable. 

However, as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease begins to develop, its symptoms may become more serious and more alarming. 

El most common symptoms of COPD include the following: 

  • Chronic cough, sometimes referred to as “smoker’s cough.” An ongoing cough is often the first symptom of a COPD. 
  • Dificultad para respirar, which may be most pronounced during or shortly after physical activity. 
  • Wheezing or whistling sounds that accompany ordinary breathing. 
  • Tightness or a sense of heaviness in the chest, which may be either persistent or intermittent but recurring. 

Later-stage chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can cause other symptoms, some of which may seem unrelated. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, these symptoms could include unexpected weight loss, general anxiety, and even depression.

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Asbestos and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 

While the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is closely associated with cigarette smoking, it can also be caused by the inhalation of airborne chemicals and other toxic fumes. 

Some studies have found that asbestos exposure could cause or contribute to COPD. A recent analysis publicado en International Journal of Environmental Research & Public Health, for instance, examined the prevalence of non-cancerous respiratory conditions among Canadian insulators and construction workers.

The insulation and construction industries are often associated with asbestos exposure and breathing problems like COPD.

Insulators, who apply, remove, and repair of thermal protective materials in buildings and other structures, including naval ships and piping infrastructures. Even today, insulators are often exposed to a wide range of potentially hazardous substances, such as calcium silicate, fiberglass, and asbestos. 

While scientists have found that insulating products can cause recurring chest infections, only asbestos appears to increase workers’ occupational risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

If you worked in an industrial occupation or worksite before 1982, you were likely exposed to asbestos fibers at some point.

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Evidence suggests that asbestos exposure could increase individuals’ lifetime risk of developing COPD, but scientists have yet to determine whether exposición al asbesto can, in and of itself, cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 

Nevertheless, it appears that the complications of some asbestos-related conditions could contribute to its development. 

La Asbestosis, for instance, is another chronic lung disease that caused by asbestos exposure. When people inhale microscopic asbestos fibers, they can become lodged within the alveoli, small sacs within the lungs that convert oxygen to carbon dioxide. Over time, these fibers can irritate and scar the surrounding tissue, making it more and more difficult to breathe. 

People who suffer from moderate to severe asbestosis may develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease as a complication of asbestosis. 

Identifying Asbestos-Related Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is difficult to diagnose, in large part because its symptoms overlap with those of other common respiratory conditions. 

If and when COPD is present alongside asbestos-related illnesses, like asbestosis, your doctor may need to perform additional diagnostic tests to confirm its presence. These tests could include the following: 

  • Lung function tests. A lung function test measures the amount of air that an individual can inhale and exhale. Spirometry, a common form of lung function test, uses a large tube connected to a small machine. The patient blows into the tube, which assesses lung volume, capacity, and relative function. 
  • Chest x-rays. Chest x-rays can detect emphysema as well as asbestosis, pleural effusions, malignant pleural mesothelioma, and other asbestos-related conditions. 
  • CT scans. CT scans can identify a variety of respiratory conditions. 
  • Arterial blood gas analysis. Arterial blood gas analyses measure lung function by evaluating the respiratory system’s ability to exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. 
  • Laboratory tests. Laboratory tests cannot necessarily detect or diagnose chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, but they may be used to investigate other potential causes of respiratory failure and distress.

Exposición al asbesto de segunda mano (exposición secundaria al asbesto)

Incluso las familias de los trabajadores se vieron afectadas debido a la exposición indirecta: las fibras de asbesto son extremadamente duraderas y pueden adherirse a la piel y la ropa, recorriendo grandes distancias con las personas directamente expuestas.

Las fibras de asbesto no tienen sabor ni olor, y pueden ser microscópicas, por lo que es posible que no se dé cuenta de que las estaba respirando.

Desafortunadamente, muchas familias de trabajadores y otros miembros del hogar también estuvieron expuestos al asbesto, ya que el asbesto se traía a casa diariamente en los vecindarios de los EE. UU. en la ropa de trabajo.. 

Esto a menudo se conoce como exposición secundaria o exposición de segunda mano (or domestic / household family asbestos exposure). In studies of asbestos disease, 1 in 5 cases of asbestos exposure were caused by secondary asbestos exposure.1

Desafortunadamente, muchas familias de trabajadores y otros miembros del hogar también estuvieron expuestos al asbesto, ya que el asbesto se traía a casa diariamente en los vecindarios de los EE. UU. en la ropa de trabajo.

Treatment of COPD

There is no cure for COPD, but there are therapies proven to help the symptoms and suffering.

Unfortunately, there is no cure for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. 

However, certain forms of therapy have been proven to relieve COPD-related symptoms. Your physician might recommend: 

Lifestyle Changes

If you smoke cigarettes, then quitting is likely the first step in alleviating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease-related pain. Smoking cessation could prevent COPD from progressing and, in some cases, improve lung function. 

Medication

A wide variety of medications are used to treat COPD, including the following: 

  • Bronchodilators, such as albuterol and levalbuterol 
  • Inhaled steroids, including fluticasone and budesonide 
  • Common inhalers, like formoterol and budesonide, fluticasone and vilanterol, and salmeterol and fluticasone 

Lung Therapy 

Lung therapy could include: 

  • Oxygen therapy, which provides supplemental oxygen to the lungs via a small, portrable device. Different  types of oxygen therapy can make it easier for COPD patients to exercise their independence and complete everyday tasks and chores. 
  • Pulmonary rehabilitation programs, which typically include some combination of educational courses, exercise training, nutrition advice, and counseling. 

Cirugía

Surgery is a last-resort option for patients with some forms of severe emphysema. A surgery could involve the extraction of damaged lung tissue, or include the transportation of an entire lung.

AsbestosClaims.Law

Para Justinian C. Lane, obtener una indemnización por las víctimas del asbesto es algo personal.

Los abuelos de Justiniano y su padre trabajaron con asbesto en su juventud y murieron de cánceres relacionados con el asbesto en sus últimos años.  

En el momento de cada una de sus muertes, nadie en la familia de Justiniano sabía que eran elegibles para presentar una demanda por asbesto y buscar una compensación de los fideicomisos de asbesto.

Debido a que nadie en la familia de Justiniano conocía sus opciones, nunca recibieron compensación alguna por la muerte de sus seres queridos. 

Si cree que su lesión o la de su familiar estuvo relacionada con la exposición al asbesto, podría tener derecho a una compensación significativa.

Este es dinero que podría usar para cubrir los costos de los servicios de remoción de asbesto, pagar el tratamiento médico y proteger de manera preventiva su bienestar físico. 

También hay fideicomisos de asbesto que ofrecen compensación mucho más rápida y fácilmente (sin presentar una demanda).

Si desea ayuda para presentar un reclamo, ponerse en contacto por correo electrónico a [email protected]  o llámenos o envíenos un mensaje de texto al (833) 4-ASBESTOS (427-2378) o (206) 455-9190. Escucharemos su historia y le explicaremos sus opciones. Y nunca cobramos por nada a menos que reciba dinero en su bolsillo.

Además de demandas legales, discapacidad de veteranos, seguridad social y protección del empleo como compensación de trabajadores, FELA y La ley de Jones para los trabajadores marítimos, hay fideicomisos de asbesto que se han establecido para indemnizar a los perjudicados por el asbesto sin tener que presentar una demanda.

No hay riesgo ni costo para hablar con uno de nuestro personal sobre su litigio de asbesto. No hay cargos a menos que reciba dinero.

Si tiene preguntas o inquietudes adicionales relacionadas con el asbesto, visite nuestro sitio web y página de YouTube para ver videos, infografías y respuestas a sus preguntas sobre el asbesto, incluida la salud y la seguridad, prueba de asbesto, la eliminación del asbesto de su hogar y edificio, y información legal sobre la compensación por lesiones de asbesto.

Presentamos la base de datos de información sobre asbesto más grande del planeta.

W.A.R.D., que significa Worldwide Asbestos Research Database, ayuda a los clientes a reducir cuándo y dónde pueden haber estado expuestos, así como qué productos aún pueden contener asbesto.WARD también ayudará a indicar los tipos de compensación ya cuánto puede tener derecho una persona.

1 Tompa E, Kalcevich C, McLeod C, Lebeau M, Song C, McLeod K, et al. La carga económica del cáncer de pulmón y el mesotelioma debido a la exposición ocupacional y paraocupacional al asbesto. Occup Environ Med 2017; 74: 816-22.