Silicosis
From Wiki4CAM
Template:Stub Silicosis is a fibronodular lung disease, caused by caused by inhaling silica dust. It is one of the oldest lung disease. It affects the lungs and produces respiratory symptoms when a person is exposed to silica dust. According to WHO, it is an incurable and irreversible lung disease.[1] The disease progresses even when exposure stops.
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Causes
As mentioned above, silicosis is caused by Silica. Silica is a common, naturally-occurring crystal. It is found in most rock beds and forms dust during mining, quarrying, tunneling, and working with many metal ores. Silica is a main part of sand, so glass workers and sand-blasters are also exposed to silica.
Types
There are usually 3 types, viz., simple chronic silicosis, accelerated silicosis and acute silicosis. Simple chronic silicosis is a result of exposure to low amounts of silica dust for long-term, more than 20 years. Swellings caused by the silica dust form in the lungs and chest lymph nodes. This disease may cause people to have trouble breathing and may be similar to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Accelerated silicosis occurs after exposure to larger amounts of silica over a shorter period of time (5 - 15 years). Swelling in the lungs and symptoms occur faster than in simple silicosis. Acute silicosis results from short-term exposure to very large amounts of silica. The lungs become very inflamed and can fill with fluid, causing severe shortness of breath and low blood oxygen levels.
Symptoms
Symptoms usually include chronic cough, shortness of breath with exercise, usually in patients who have progressive massive fibrosis. Other symptoms of this disease include fever, cough, weight loss and severe breathing difficulties.
Exams, tests and diagnosis
A detailed medical history including the past and present job history, hobbies, and other activities that may have exposed the patient to silica is helpful to diagnose silicosis. Physical examination is also additional helpful to confirm the diagnosis. Final confirmation is done by the chest x-ray, pulmonary function tests and purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test (for tuberculosis) to rule out other diseases.
