How are dust disease and asbestosis treated?

The tissue damage from dust diseases such as asbestosis and silicosis cannot be reversed, but there are several ways to prevent further damage and reduce current symptoms. Because damaged lung tissue is more likely to contract lung diseases such as pneumonia or the flu, your doctor can give you vaccinations for certain strains to prevent infection. If you develop high blood pressure in your lungs (pulmonary hypertension), your doctor can prescribe you medication to treat it. To treat breathing difficulties, doctors can drain fluid from your lungs and prescribe medication or oxygen supplementation. Some mild cases of silicosis have been treated with a lung lavage, in which a lung is filled with a saline solution and washed out. For more severe cases of dust disease, a lung transplant may be necessary.