Silicosis

Overview
*Silicosis is a respiratory disease that is the result of someone breathing in silica dust.

Symptoms
*Chronic cough
*Shortness of breath with exercise
If the disease is acute silicosis then there are some other symptoms as well:
*Cough
*Fever
*Severe breathing difficulty
*Weight loss

Treatment
*The main way to go about treating Silicosis is to ensure that it does not get worse.
1) Remove the source of silica exposure.
2) Limit emposure to irritants. (ex. quit smoking)
3) Treatment to help deal with Silicosis includes, cough medicine, bronchodilators and oxygen if needed.
*Bronchodilators are medications that relax the bronchial muscles. Relaxing these muscles makes the airways larger, allowing air to pass through the lungs easier.
4)People that have Silicosis are at a great risk for developing tuberculosis so routine tuberculosis skin tests would be recommended.
*If positive, anti-TB drugs would be prescribed for treatment.

Causes
1) Simple chronic silicosis - long-term exposure (more then 20 years) to low amounts of silica dust.
2) Accelerate silicosis- occurs after exposure to larger amounts of silica for a shorter time span (5-15 years). Symptoms occure faster.
*Progressice massive fibrosis can occur: caused by severe scarring and destroys normal lung structures.
3) Acute silicosis- short-term exposure to very large amounts of silica. Lungs become inflammed, can fill with fluid and causes low blood oxygen levels.
*Intense exposure to silica can cause diseas within a year but mostly the causes are longer termed exposure.

Extra Stuff
*If in contact with silica wear dust maks and do not smoke.
*If severe damage is done to the lungs it can even lead to respiratory failure.
* Although treatment can be given to help prevent the disease from getting worse and to help deal with the symptoms, Silicosis is really an incurable lung disease. Once the damage is done, it's done.
*Even after exposure to silica dust is stopped, the disease can still get progressively worse.
*Silicosis kills thousands every year.


Websites
1) http://www.thoracic.org/sections/copd/for-patients/what-kind-of-medications-are-there-for-copd/what-are-bronchodilators.html
2) https://www.google.com/health/ref/Silicosis
3) http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs238/en/