if someone has acute emphysema and a small amount of asbestos in lungs is this the reason for the emphysema?

Answer 1

Could be but could depend on other factors also.

get a referral to a specialist, particularly if the person smoked or worked in a mine as these could also be contributing factors. If this is for some sort of claim, then a medical professional will be required to do the diagnosis/prognosis as the other party will use one to rip the claim to shreds.

Asbestos usually causes asbestosis.

Answer 2

first, if a person has been exposed to asbestos for long periods of time, asbestosis will occur, it's a restrictive lung disease. im not sure if it can progress into emphysema, i've never heard of such case yet.

second, you said small amount of asbestos -- how small? and if it's like a one time exposure, that's not really enough to give you a chronic lung problem (note: not chronic obstructive)

if you have been diagnosed with emphysema -- it's either you have an alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency, or you got it from smoking. if you have the alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency, you would have known that since you were a child because it's congenital. if you were diagnosed with emphysema later on in life -- you definitely got it from smoking. sounds like you're trying to create a loophole and blame it on the asbestos.

Answer 3

Ive never heard of 'acute' emphysema.
Emphysema is a chronic lung condition usually caused by smoking.

Unlike asthma, which occurs when the muscles in your airways tighten, emphysema causes a loss of elasticity in the walls of the small air sacs in your lungs. Eventually, the walls stretch and break, creating larger, less efficient air sacs that aren't able to handle the normal exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.

When emphysema is advanced, you must work so hard to expel air from your lungs that breathing can consume up to 20 percent of your resting energy. Unfortunately, because emphysema develops gradually over many years, you may not experience symptoms such as shortness of breath until irreversible damage has already occurred. Treatments focus on relieving symptoms and avoiding complications.

Asbestosisis a breathing disorder caused by inhaling high levels of asbestos fibers. Accumulation of these fibers in your lungs can lead to scarring which is known as fibrosis, of lung tissue and diminished breathing capacity.

There is a subtle difference, one causes inelasticity of the alveoli and the other fibrosis but the end result is difficulty in breathing and both are irreversible.

Answer 4

No emphysema is technically destruction of the lung tissue by whatever disease that is caused it in the first place. Asbestos is not a cause of emphysema but emphysema is so common that there are bound to be cases where asbestos related lung disease coexists with it.

Answer 5

Specific lung diseases known to be related to asbestos are asbestosis (similar to pneumoconiosis) and mesothelioma -(arguably pleural plaques too - but the juries still out that 1). Emphysema (weak and stretched lung linings) is more general and could be due to a number of causes, primarily smoking. Asbestos-related conditions would typically take 20 - 30 years after exposure to develop so if exposure is more recent, then condition less likely to be asbestos-related.

Answer 6

My sister in law has emphysema and has never been near asbestos!

Answer 7

Is this person a smoker or is around or lives with a smoker? If this is the case than that is what caused the emphysema.

Answer 8

It might be - but if you are going to try and hang a court case on it, you'll need a qualified doctor to make the judgement, and he'd probably need to be a lung specialist.

Answer 9

It could be but the more likely cause is the cigarette smoking this person most likely did.

Answer 10

it is a possibility but best check with your doctor