Question

What is silicosis disease?

Answer 1

Hint: Silica is a crystal-like material that can be found in sand, rock, and quartz. For those who work with stone, concrete, glass, or other types of rock, silica can be fatal. There is no single medical treatment for silicosis. The goal of treatment is to alleviate your symptoms. Cough medication and antibiotics can both help with cough symptoms and treat respiratory infections. To open up the airways, inhalers might be employed.

Complete answer:
Silicosis is a chronic lung illness caused by inhaling large volumes of crystalline silica dust over a lengthy period of time.
Silica is a mineral that can be found in a variety of stone, rock, sand, and clay. When working with these materials, a thin dust is produced that is easily breathed.
It causes swelling (inflammation) in the lungs, which results in patches of hardened and scarred lung tissue (fibrosis). Lung tissue that has been damaged in this way is unable to function normally.
People who work in the following fields are especially vulnerable:

As a result of exposure to concrete and paving materials, stone masonry and stone cutting – particularly with sandstone building and demolition – worktop production and fitting pottery, ceramics, and glass manufacturing mining and quarrying sand blasting.
Symptoms and signs: Silicosis symptoms can take years to manifest, and you may not notice any symptoms until you've stopped working with silica dust. Even if you are no longer exposed to the virus, your symptoms may worsen.

Silicosis normally develops after 10-20 years of exposure to silica, however it can also develop after 5-10 years of exposure. It can happen after only a few months of extremely high exposure.

Main signs and symptoms:-
The following are the most common signs and symptoms of silicosis: coughing for a long time. Shortness of breath, weakness, and exhaustion are all symptoms of chronic shortness of breath. These symptoms may grow more severe if the illness continues to worsen. Simple actions such as walking or climbing stairs may become increasingly difficult for some people, and they may be confined to their home or bed.

Note:-
Silicosis can also increases your risk of getting serious and potentially life-threatening conditions, including: tuberculosis (TB) and other chest infections
pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, arthritis, kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer. Because the lung damage caused by silicosis cannot be reversed, there is no cure. The goal of treatment is to alleviate symptoms and enhance overall quality of life.