Silicosis: causes, symptoms and treatment & bull; hello healthy

Definition

What is silicosis?

Silicosis is when you have excess silica in your body that results from, for example, inhaling too much silica dust over a long period of time. Silica is a crystal-like mineral found in sand, rock, and quartz. Silica is potentially deadly for people with jobs involving masonry, concrete, glass, or other types of stone. Exposure to silica particles that occurs every day can cause injury to the lungs, which interferes with the ability to breathe.

There are three types of silicosis:

• Acute silicosis, can cause coughing, weight loss, and weakness within weeks or years of exposure to silica.
• Chronic silicosis, appears 10-30 years after exposure to silica. The upper lungs can be affected and sometimes cause prolonged injury.
• Accelerated silicosis(accelerated silicosis), occurring within 10 years of high-level exposure.

How common is this condition?

This condition is very common and usually affects men more often than women. This condition can occur in patients of any age. Silicosis can be treated by reducing risk factors. Talk to your doctor for more information.

Signs and Symptoms

What are the signs and symptoms of silicosis?

Some of the signs or symptoms of silicosis are:

• Coughing is an early symptom and develops over time with exposure to inhaled silica.
• In acute silicosis, fever and chest pain that feels sharp and difficulty breathing will appear. These symptoms can appear suddenly.
• Other possible symptoms include:
  • Chest pain
  • Fever
  • Night sweats
  • Weight loss
  • Respiratory disorders

Symptoms of silicosis can occur from several weeks to years after exposure to silica dust. Symptoms will worsen over time, especially once sores appear in the lungs.

There may be signs and symptoms not listed above. If you have concerns about a particular symptom, consult your doctor.

When should I see a doctor?

If you have any signs or symptoms above or any other questions, please consult your doctor. Everyone's body is different. Always consult a doctor to treat your health condition.

Cause

What causes silicosis?

Exposure to crystalline silica is the main cause of this disease. Silica dust comes from cutting, drilling or grinding soil, sand, granite or other minerals. List of jobs in which workers can inhale exposure crystalline silica, among others:

• Various mining workers, such as coal and hard rock
• Building construction work
• Tunnel work
• Masonry
• Sand
• Glass factory
• Ceramic work
• Steel work
• Excavation
• Stone cutting

Triggers

What makes me more at risk for silicosis?

Factory, mining and rock workers have the highest risk of this disease because they are directly exposed to silica. People working in the following industries are at highest risk:

• Asphalt plant
• Concrete production
• Crush rock and concrete
• Destruction work
• Glass factory
• Rock
• Mining
• Excavation
• Sandblasting
• Stone cutting

Medicine and Medicine

The information provided is not a substitute for medical advice. ALWAYS consult your doctor.

How is this condition diagnosed?

The doctor will order a chest x-ray to diagnose this type of disease. In addition, you can do a physical exam, such as a lung exam. The resulting chest x-ray may show that you have multiple lung injuries or that it is normal.

Some of the series of tests that can be useful to help make a diagnosis of this disease are:

• Breathing test
• High-resolution CT scan of the chest
• Bronchoscopy to evaluate the inside of the lungs. This procedure is performed by inserting a thin, flexible tube down the throat. The tube will be attached to the camera to help the doctor see the lung tissue. Tissue and fluid samples may also be taken during bronchoscopy.
• Lung biopsy

How to treat this disease?

Curing this disease does not have a special medical treatment. Because, the goal of treatment is to reduce the symptoms that appear in silicosis.

Cough medicine can reduce cough symptoms and antibiotics can also help treat respiratory infections.

Inhalers can be used to open the respiratory tract. Some patients also wear oxygen masks to increase the amount of oxygen in the blood.

If you are diagnosed with this disease, avoid exposure to silica. Quitting smoking is the best way to protect your lungs from further damage.

People with this condition also have a higher risk of tuberculosis (TB or TB). You should be regularly tested for TB if you have silicosis. Medicine to cure TB may be given.

Patients with severe silicosis may require a lung transplant (graft).

Prevention

What can I do at home to prevent or treat silicosis?

Some things you can do at home to prevent and treat as well as prevent this disease, include:

• For workers, wear a special mask called a respirator to avoid inhaling silica. Masks can be marked for "abrasive blasting" use.
• Water spray and wet cutting methods can reduce the risk of exposure to silica.
• The workplace and environment must meet standards Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), including proper ventilation. Managers can monitor air quality at workplaces to ensure there is no excess silica in the air and are required to immediately report all incidents of silicosis.
• With silica-containing dust, workers should eat, drink or smoke away from the area.
• Wash hands before doing activities to clean hands from dust.
• Get annual immunizations, such as pneumococcal and influenza.
• Watch out for TB or other infections.
• Find complete information on silicosis and exposure to silica dust.
• Make a plan to deal with a recurrence of this disease.

If you have any questions, consult your doctor for the best solution to your problem.

Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.