Pneumonia is a respiratory disease that results from prolonged exposure to inhalation of chemicals that have adverse health properties. It is classified as an occupational disease, because the largest group of people suffering from it are people exposed to work in places where harmful substances are present, e.g. coal dust.
Substances deposited in the lungs cause changes in the lung tissues, which unfortunately have disastrous health effects, including respiratory failure.
Causes of development of pneumoconiosis
Contact with mineral dusts of talc, asbestos, coal or bauxite causes scarring inside the lungs, which entails a spectrum of life-threatening consequences, ranging from respiratory disorders to tuberculosis, lung failure or the development of heart disease. cotton, carbon, iron, asbestos, silicon, talc and calcium.
Alarming symptoms
In people struggling with this disease, low-grade fever, exertional dyspnea, right ventricular failure, as well as bronchitis and emphysema are observed. One of the leading symptoms is cough accompanied by sputum production, shortness of breath and a feeling of tightness in the chest, with the severity of these symptoms increasing with the length of the dust inhalation period.
Treatment
If you suspect pneumoconiosis, go for a consultation with your family doctor, pulmonologist, internist or occupational medicine doctor. The specialist will interview you about the conditions in which the patient works and perform a physical examination, and then refer you to a radiological examination of the chest. Computed tomography is also possible. Pneumonia is treated primarily by alleviating its symptoms, the therapy is not entirely effective. Physical exercise should be limited, as well as oxygen requirements, if respiratory failure worsens. The bronchial tree is cleared by the use of drugs that widen its lumen, which increases gas exchange and lung ventilation. Factors that block the free flow of air, such as smoking or bronchitis, should also be eliminated. It is worth considering changing the place of residence, if the place where we live is polluted with harmful dust.
Prevention methods
In order to protect health, workplaces should be equipped with dust extraction devices, and wearing dust masks is equally important. The employer should send employees for regular check-ups.