Silicosis is one of those lung diseases which you wouldn?t want to contract or develop. It?s a lung disease caused by an accumulation of free crystalline silica dust in the alveolar level of the human lungs. Silicosis is widely known to be an occupational disease both in the United States and in developing countries. Sudden or prolonged exposure to silica dust might trigger the dreadful signs and symptoms of silicosis.
The onset of the signs and symptoms of silicosis differ from one patient to another. People who have complicated silicosis have higher concentrations of silica dust particles in the alveolar spaces in the lungs. The alveolar clusters are the basic and smallest unit of the lungs. The accumulation of silica dust inside lungs does not dictate the severity of the signs and symptoms of this chronic lung disease.
The major contributing factor to the severity of silicosis will depend on how fine the crystalline silica particles are in an individual?s lungs. This is why there are people who suffer from acute silicosis. Despite the short and brief exposure to silica, they quickly develop literally ?breath-taking? symptoms week after their brief and short silica dust exposure.
The after exposure of individuals with chronic silicosis might be asymptomatic for a few years. The deadly effects of silicosis unfortunately can only be detected if a big portion of the upper lung walls and cavity have already been covered in massive fibrosis tissues or fibroblasts. In some complicated chronic cases of silicosis, patients have been found to suffer from other chronic lung diseases such as tuberculosis and emphysema as well.
Silicosis had been causing casualties for hundreds of years now. The disease might have developed at the same time human beings started to learn quarrying, mining, and sandblasting. People who are most susceptible to silicosis are workers in these fields of industry.
Unfortunately, silicosis is an irreversible disease. A patient might have acute silicosis or accelerated silicosis, the signs and symptoms are all too similar. The only difference is the extent of lung damage and fibrosis that it surely inflicted the lungs.
Though irreversible, silicosis can be very well prevented. Workers who are at high-risk of exposure to silica dust should follow these precautionary measures so they don?t end up developing this deadly lung disease in the future.
Silica is simply fine dust particles which are found in many naturally occurring substances on Earth. Everybody is exposed to these particles at some points in their lives. The only reason why most people do not develop silicosis is that the particles might be too large to cause an allergic reaction in the respiratory system. This means that large silica particles can be prevented to induce inflammation by the simple mechanism of coughing.
But if you?re working in a high-risk location where silica particles just seem to float around you all the time, it is highly recommended to incorporate the use of water when drilling through mining grounds and quarries. Water will destroy silica dust easily. This will reduce your risk of inhaling these deadly particles while you?re working.
Some workers rarely use this precautionary measure to inhibit silicosis development. The addition of water while drilling through holes or sandblasting reduces the efficiency and productivity in a worksite.
Some workers would rather risk their health than deal with the tedious job of cleaning up the water utilized while working with heavy machinery which gives off dangerous silica dust particles.Employers on the other hand should consider using the water masks when drilling through mines or sandblasting to reduce their long-term expenses as well. Wasting money away due to expensive hospitalization expenditures and drugs because of silicosis is pricier than prevention measures that are undeniably cheaper in the long-run.
This is a no-brainer prevention measure which every worker should follow if their task entails them to grind through marbles and metallic ores. Additionally, wearing a mask is also recommended for people who are working in mines and quarries. Since their job requires them to work underground or in a dusty field, the accumulation of silica dust in their lungs might be more concentrated in their upper lung areas. To prevent this from happening, it is highly advisable to wear dust mask or a respirator while you?re working at the job site. It might look awkward on your face when you look at the mirror, but that bulky respirator can very well save you from the devastating effects of silicosis.
A standard surgical mask might not be all too useful when working under harsh and dust-filled conditions. They indeed can strain some of the dust particles, but there are far smaller particles that can easily permeate through cheap masks. If this happens, you can still be a likely running candidate for developing not only silicosis, but also chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases like emphysema and bronchitis. These disease conditions will make aggravate or may well result in accelerated silicosis damages and degradation.
Do not hesitate in investing in the recommended respirators used to filter the air your employees are breathing in. You need to realize that your manpower?s health is one of the major aspect why your business is up and running and growing in scale.If your employer, on the other hand, does not want to spend money on these highly recommended breathing masks, you can always purchase one from a home improvement or pharmacy store. Make a conscious effort in protecting yourself from the harmful effects of your occupation. The boss might be a douche, but at least your health will be protected!
When you?re diagnosed silicosis, the best solution is to alleviate the pain and discomfort felt by the patient through palliative treatment. Since silicosis is still listed as an incurable disease, try as many alternatives as you can when it comes to treatment. You might very well find the cure to silicosis by combining multiple drug therapies to tame down the effects of heavy and labored breathing bought about silicosis.Silicosis is a serious occupational hazard to a lot of people. Since it?s incurable nowadays, the best and smartest management to this is to keep the yourself away from such hazardous environments and places as much as possible.
?Prevention is better than cure.? This can be very well applied when it comes to silicosis.
You don?t need to suffer a slow and painful death when you can very well execute techniques and tips which can help you in reducing your risk to contracting a very serious and deadly disease. This disease carries similarities to asbestosis, but they are not the same. We will continue to educate you on asbestosis as well in further articles.
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