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How Your Lungs Fight BackTo protect the lungs against dusts, nature has designed a system of defense. Tiny hairs called cilia line the nose and act as a barrier, keeping out much of the dust. More cilia line the bronchial tubes and over these cilia is spread mucus which is sometimes coughed up.Invading dust, especially the larger particles, is caught in the mucus. The process works like an escalator; the cilia, in constant motion, move the dusty mucus upward and outward to be spit out or swallowed harmlessly.This system works well most of the time, but even nature's defenses can fail. Smoking slows the movement of cilia. Infection may also slow their movement. The combination of smoking and excess dust is a serious threat to the lungs' defense system. |
How Will My Doctor Treat Me?Treatment for specific dust diseases is based on the type of disease diagnosed by the physician. Treatment differs for organic vs. inorganic substances. The allergic response to organic dusts may be treated with drugs like corticosteroids. Occupational asthma treatment is similar to treatment of asthma in general. A worker will be encouraged to avoid any known asthma triggers, and drugs to reduce inflammation and open the airways of the lungs may be prescribed. Pulmonary fibrosis due to organic dust disease is very difficult to treat and relief of the symptoms is often the best treatment a doctor can offer. The best form of treatment is prevention. A doctor may suggest a change of occupations or a reduction in exposure to dust as a part of a treatment plan. |
What Symptoms Could I Have?It is often hard to predict the course of a dust disease and the symptoms a person may experience. Some workers may suffer little from the disease-even in its advanced state-and eventually die of other causes. Many workers who breathe in harmful dusts over a long period of time develop a serious illness. Shortness of breath is often the first symptom to appear. A cough is often the next symptom. A person may show signs of heart failure, including severe shortness of breath. As the disease advances, scarring takes place in the lungs. This reduces normal flow of oxygen into the blood stream and may cause the lips to look blue. People with dust diseases may develop complications such as the development of tuberculosis, pneumonia, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer and emphysema. |
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How Dust Affects Your LungsDusts are different in the ways they affect the body. Different kinds of dusts may affect the body in the following ways:Little apparent damage: certain dusts such as limestone seem to cause little or no damage Mechanical irritation: asbestos fibers may scratch the lung tissues and begin reactions which may cause scarring and cancer. A chemical reaction may be involved. Allergic reaction: the lungs become sensitive, particularly to organic dusts from living plant life such as moldy hay. Chemical reaction: this is believed to be the case with silicosis, with quartz dust triggering a direct chemical reaction within the lungs. |
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