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On the surface, mesothelioma and other chronic conditions related to asbestos exposure and the chronic airway obstruction condition known as asthma have a few common symptoms and a few similar underlying triggers. However, asthma and asbestos exposure do not appear to have a direct connection — as far as modern medicine has been able to prove.
As such, symptoms you may experience that are similar to asthma may actually be related to mesothelioma if you have been exposed to asbestos in the past. Additionally, mesothelioma can trigger or worsen asthma attacks. Some literature also suggests that asbestos fibers may be a dust-like trigger for acute asthma events[1]. If you already have an asthma diagnosis, you may accidentally end up ignoring symptoms related to mesothelioma if you were not aware how similar they might be.
“Asthma” refers to a chronic condition where your lungs’ airway passages, known as bronchial tubes, can rapidly constrict.[2] These constricted airways can make breathing difficult, cause chest tightness, and lead to inflammation. Mucus may also build up in the passages, causing a wet cough or hacking cough. Airways in the lungs and through the throat tend to be easily irritated, and environmental factors like smoke or dust can easily trigger an event that causes airways to rapidly constrict.
Medical researchers have as of yet not been able to uncover the exact causes of asthma, and there is no known cure.[3] However, the airway constriction that occurs during asthma attacks can be reversible[4], a notable feature of the chronic condition that separates it from acute conditions with similar symptoms, like bronchitis.
Asthma seems to have a close relationship to allergies.[5] The same types of environmental exposures that can trigger allergic reactions, such as hives on the skin, can also trigger an asthma attack. Conversely, immunotherapies that seem to alleviate chronic allergies can reduce the likelihood of an asthma attack.
Occupational environment hazards have an established ability to trigger asthma attacks in individuals. Dust-like particulate matter, smokes, and vapors tend to have a high chance of triggering such attacks1. Asbestos fibers are occasionally mentioned in literature describing airborne industrial hazards that can trigger an asthma attack[6], but unlike many particulate matters, asbestos fibers typically do not cause coughing or irritation when inhaled[7].
None of these assertions are meant to give the impression that asbestos fibers do not eventually cause bronchial inflammation or other symptoms that might be similar to asthma. Asbestos exposure has an established link to mesothelioma as well as chronic chest infections, causing recurring pneumonia[8], bronchitis, or diminished lung capacity[9].
Asbestos-related lung conditions can be complicated within individuals who have asthma[11]. Some medical researchers have also questioned whether asbestos exposure can, indeed, cause bronchial asthma[12] despite the fact that no firm cause-and-effect relationship has ever been observed.
Even still, asbestos will not be nearly as likely to cause asthma or trigger attacks as it would be to cause other easily confused lung conditions, like mesothelioma. Individuals who have asthma-like symptoms after asbestos exposure may, therefore, have a vested interest in ruling out mesothelioma or other asbestos-related diagnoses.
[1] https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000110.htm
[2] https://www.webmd.com/asthma/what-is-asthma#1
[3] https://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/asthma/learn-about-asthma/what-is-asthma.html
[4] https://www.blf.org.uk/support-for-you/breathing-tests/spirometry-and-reversibility
[5] https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma/in-depth/allergies-and-asthma/art-20047458
[6] https://health.utah.gov/asthma/pdfs/work/Respiratory_packet.pdf
[7] http://www.health.state.mn.us/divs/eh/asbestos/homeowner/heffects.html
[8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26046696
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3164601/
[11] https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/asbestos/docs/asbestos_factsheet_508.pdf
[12] https://www.atsjournals.org/doi/full/10.1164/ajrccm.183.11.1571a
