Asbestosis, also known as Asbestos Lung, is a progressive lung disease caused by exposure to asbestos. Mesothelioma is a rare lung cancer that often develops from asbestosis. There is no known cure for asbestos lung at present. There is reason, however, to believe that herbal medications can help manage the symptoms and reduce the discomfort within the limits of the disease.
Understanding the Nature of the Disease
Asbestos lung is a slow killer. At some point during a patient's life minute asbestos particles settled into the lungs. Over years the fibers remained, repeatedly injuring and scarring the lungs. In time the lung will become less and less flexible. Breathing difficulties, which often first show themselves during exertion, become more common at lower levels of activity, until at last even a patient at rest struggles, coughs, chokes and experiences the exhaustion and disability of a person dying of slow suffocation. The only known potential "cure" involves lung transplant, and the operation is rare. Donors are few, the demand for replacement lungs high, and the outcome a gamble.
Knowing this, a patient should look to alternative herbal medicine to help control symptoms, not remove them or undo the damage done by asbestos. Within that boundary of understanding a patient can gain enormous comfort in having accomplished the best possible quality of life.
What Can Herbs Do for Asbestos Lung Symptoms?
Herbal therapies have not been shown to cure asbestos lung. However, there are indications that herbs provide a range of supportive effects that can mitigate various symptoms at various stages in the disease. To make maximum use of herbal supplements and alternative treatments your strategy should be to break the subject down into three categories: general health (providing optimal nutrition, reducing dietary elements that increase symptoms, providing elements that strengthen the immune system and slow cancer growth); lung function (improving oxygen intake, reducing mucus, and similar symptomatic treatments); and improving life quality (pain management, depression management, improved mobility). By addressing each separately it is easier to avoid becoming bogged down in a sea of options.
When you have done the breakdown, you must begin to do your homework. The range of suggested therapies verges on the infinite, and many suggested supplements are of limited use. Start your studies with your own doctor: a specialist can not only help you recognize promising herbal supplements, but also prevent you from doing severe damage by attempting to prescribe strong herbal remedies and by mixing medications.
Learn also where to look online for solid information. At the end of this article you will find a short beginner's set of online references and information sites.
A Few Specific Herbs
There are a few specific herbs to look into as a starting point. For improved breathing omega-3 fatty acids found in linseed oil as well as fish oil are often recommended. Omega-3 is also rumored to help with depression. Coenzyme Q10, a naturally produced substance found in cells, is used by the cells for energy transport, and is believed to help with energy levels and fatigue. For pain you may want to see if you live in an area where medical marijuana is legal: not all forms of THC are administered through the old method of smoke inhalation, and so some forms of THC are considered appropriate to ameliorate pain, depression and appetite loss among other symptoms. Comfrey, an herb sometimes recommended in alternative therapy, is used in a range of lung-related conditions, including cancers and bronchitis and is thought to reduce inflammation and protect against damage to the lungs on the level of small blood vessels, slowing the progress of asbestosis. Comfrey is also associated with liver failure, however. This provides a clear indication why herbal medicine, while holding great promise, should also be undertaken only with oversight from a licensed doctor with understanding of both classical medicine and alternative therapies. Never take an herbal supplement which might conflict with existing prescribed medication, and never attempt to diagnose and determine dosages without some professional providing guidance.
This is a minor exploration of herbal treatment for asbestos lung: the potential indicated by the medicinal properties of herbs and other natural substances is too large to be covered in a single article. However by using these guidelines, remembering to sort the areas you wish to address, checking the various online references and using your doctor to direct your explorations, herbal medicines may provide strong assistance in treating the symptoms of asbestos lung and in increasing the quality of life of a diagnosed patient.
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