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Step 1
Identify places where asbestos exposure may have taken place. Researching past places of employment or properties where asbestos might have been found is the first step to determine whether or not potential exposure exists. Be aware that buildings are not the only asbestos culprits. It can also be found in artificial fireplaces and furnaces, brake pads and linings, carpet padding, cement, electrical wiring, floor tile, hair curlers, dryers, and irons, household appliances, insulation, ironing board pads, patching compounds like spackling, potholders, roofing materials and textured wall materials.
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Step 2
Familiarize yourself with asbestosis and related lung diseases that result from over exposure to asbestos. Knowledge is key to prompt recognition of such diseases; leading to immediate diagnosis and treatment.
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Step 3
Recognize the various symptoms of lung-related diseases like asbestosis. According to the Mayo Clinic, these include appetite loss, chest pain or tightness, continuous cough that may include a bloody discharge, deformity of the fingers, excess sputum, fatigue, heart failure, hoarse voice, inability to complete simple physical activity, shortness of breath and weight loss.
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Step 4
Research complications that can occur as a result of asbestosis. According to the Asbestos Information Center, these may include asbestos poisoning, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, emphysema, lung cancer, pulmonary fibrosis, mesothelioma, skin cancer, and tuberculosis. All are serious health problems that require immediate and prompt attention.
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Step 5
Seek a proper diagnosis. Many of the same symptoms and conditions can also be caused by health conditions other than asbestosis. In fact, misdiagnosis of asbestosis is rather common. It may take a specialist or an expert in the field of asbestosis to determine the proper diagnosis.
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Step 6
Request tests that are typically used in asbestosis and related lung disease diagnosis. Chest x-rays look for opaque areas in the lower lobes of the lungs or irregularities of the heart area. CT scans look for scars or thickening of lung tissue. Pulmonary function tests look for a loss in lung volume. During the later stages of asbestosis, the lungs may look honeycombed.
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Step 7
Make follow-up appointments with a physician. It may take time for the disease to make itself known and for a proper diagnosis to be made. Dismissing the possibility of asbestosis when exposure has been documented could result in serious complications later on.
