Pulmonary Fibrosis and Asbestos Exposure

According to the National Institutes of Health, up to 100,000 people are currently struggling with pulmonary fibrosis in the U.S. Exposure to occupational carcinogens, including asbestos, is among the risk factors for pulmonary fibrosis, which typically has a slow progression. During the 20th century, asbestos would be a common ingredient in over 5,000 consumer products by virtue of its manifold convenient properties. As a consequence, it would also contaminate thousands of workplaces throughout the country, from construction sites and oil refineries to chemical plants and textile mills. Pulmonary fibrosis is one of the dire health effects of asbestos exposure, along with lung cancer and numerous other life-threatening diseases. It occurs when the tissue between the air sacs of the lungs – medically known as interstitium – is taken over by scarring, which will unfortunately lead to respiratory failure in most patients. Since there is no cure for pulmonary fibrosis, the median life expectancy is dramatically short, ranging between 3 and 5 years.

Infographic Source: https://www.elglaw.com/pulmonary-fibrosis/