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Silicosis

 Silicosis



Overview

Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling very tiny crystalline particles of silicon dioxide, or silica. If you have it, you’ll have symptoms of coughing, inflammation (swelling) and fibrosis (scarring).

Those three symptoms identify a group of diseases called pneumoconiosis. These diseases, caused by dust inhalation, are often described as work-related. They include diseases like asbestos-related conditions. Silicosis is a work-related lung disease — you get it because you’re breathing in silica crystals at your job.

You can’t cure or reverse silicosis, but your providers can treat it.

Are there types of silicosis?

Silicosis may develop in three ways. They are:

Chronic silicosis: This usually happens when you’ve been exposed to breathable dust for more than 10 years. The amount of silica in the dust is also a factor. There are these forms of chronic silicosis: simple silicosis and progressive massive fibrosis.

Subacute silicosis: This type, also called accelerated silicosis, happens over a shorter period of time, like two to five years. Even though the time is shorter, your exposure is heavier.

Acute silicosis: You can get this type by having intense exposure to particles made up of a large percentage of silica over a period of time that is as short as several months.

Symptoms

There are three main symptoms of silicosis:

Persistent coughing.

Coughing that brings up sputum.

Inflammation (swelling).

Fibrosis (scarring).

These signs and symptoms can cause:

Shortness of breath (dyspnea).

Fatigue.

Weakness.

Unintended weight loss.

Causes

Silicosis is caused by the damage to your lungs that happens when you breathe in silica dust. This usually happens in an occupational (job-related) setting.

Diagnosis

our healthcare provider will begin by taking a medical history and making a physical examination. Asking questions about how long you may have worked in a job known to cause silicosis will be an important part of the process.

Your provider might find silicosis on an imaging test even if you don’t have symptoms. They might hear abnormal breath sounds while they examine you.

You may have the following tests:

Imaging tests: These include chest X-rays and high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans. There are certain things that a provider can see on these types of tests that will lead to a diagnosis of silicosis.

Pulmonary function tests: These tests evaluate how well your lungs are working.

Laboratory tests: These tests may be done to rule out other conditions like some types of infections. This may include a tuberculosis skin test. There’s no lab test to prove you have silicosis.

Bronchoalveolar lavage: This test ‘washes’ your lungs and examines the fluid that is extracted.

Lung biopsy: This test, which involves removing a small bit of tissue from your lungs, is ordered only rarely.

Treatment

You can only manage silicosis. You can’t cure silicosis. Some tips for managing silicosis include:

Quit smoking or using tobacco products.

Use personal protective equipment or change jobs.

Use a bronchodilator to improve airflow.

Use supplemental oxygen if necessary.

In some cases, your provider may recommend lung transplant surgery.

There are, of course, ongoing clinical trials working on finding a treatment for silicosis. Your provider might suggest that you participate. Researchers are using drugs called antifibrotics to treat some forms of silicosis. While some of these are experimental, one drug called nintedanib (OFEV®) is FDA approved.

Type of DOctor Department :  A pulmonologist

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