What Are the Causes of Silicosis?

Silicosis is a type of disease that affects a person's lungs and respiratory system. If a person has silicosis, he will experience swelling in the lungs as well as the lymph nodes of the chest. Fluid may also fill the lungs and cause the person to develop a chronic cough as well as shortness of breath. Silicosis is a preventable disease, so it is important to know the causes.

Significance

Silicosis is caused by the exposure of the dust from the crystal silica. Silica is found in numerous rock beds and workers that hold particular types of jobs are at a high risk of breathing in large amounts of silica dust. This includes jobs related to mining, tunnel building, construction, sand blasting, stone processing and glass working.

Considerations

Any type of dusty condition can increase a person's chance of developing silicosis. People that work often with pottery, clay, soaps, abrasives and detergents have an increased chance of developing silicosis. Farmers are also at risk when they are exposed to dusty conditions that occur from plowing or harvesting.

Time Frame

In most cases you won't develop silicosis immediately after exposure to silica dust. Typically, a person will need to be exposed to this substance for an average of 10 to 15 years before symptoms materialize. However, intense and regular exposure to silica dust can cause the condition to occur much quicker. In this case it is referred to as acute silicosis.

Effects

When a person suffers from silicosis, the dust that they have been exposed to causes their lungs and lymph nodes of the chest to swell. Due to this swelling, patients will find it hard to breathe. Other symptoms can include chronic coughing, fevers and weight loss. Silicosis is not curable, but a doctor can provide cough suppressants and inhalers to control symptoms.

Prevention/Solution

Wearing protective gear, including masks, can prevent a person in an ore industry job from developing silicosis. To keep the disease from worsening, the person must not continue to breathe in the silica dust. Cases of silicosis have decreased greatly since the Occupational Safety and Health Administration have set mandates to protect workers against silica dust exposure.