What is black lung disease?
black lung disease is a type of pneumoconiosis, a condition caused by inhalation of certain forms of dust into the lungs. Specifically, black lung disease is caused by inhalation of coal dust, which tends to be from the black lung instead of their normal pink color. It occurs only for staff in coal mines or other work situations that cause high exposure to coal dust. This can be alternately called coal workers pneumoconiosis (CWP). When the disease has progressed significantly, it becomes progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) and is responsible for the death of thousands of coal workers every year, although the exhibition of coal dust ended years ago. However, having a disease that can simply prove to be cough in the early years, but makes you more vulnerable to the development of one of these conditions. If the condition is caught in the initial stages, haprogresis of the disease may be possible, either by using larger safety practices when around coal dust or stopping the work around coaldust. Smoking can worsen other diseases that make black lung disease more demanding, which significantly increases the risk of COPD, emphysema and lung cancer.
The state can only be caused if people work around coal dust and the specific mechanism of the disease makes it understandable. When coal is inhaled, it can be combined with white blood cells called macrophages. This combination of dust and blood cells begins to form abnormal tissue in the lungs called nodes. As the nodes increase, they begin to reduce air flow, causing lower blood oxygen levels and then extreme breathing problems.
continuing coal dust exposure means that more nodes are formed, which significantly increases the risk that at some point one will not be able to breathe and the risk of disability and death. Generally, if nodes have at least a centimeter (about 0.4 inches) size, is considered to be heThe emotion of black lungs progressed to PMF. There are no medicines for PMF, but if the disease does not proceed to PMF, it may have minimal effects on everyday life.
Not all people with this disease will proceed to PMF, especially if they are no longer exposed to coal dust. It usually takes about 10 years of inhalation of coal dust on the development of black lung disease, and because it can be asymptomatic initially, people may not notice it. Chronic cough developed by a person working with coal is a reason to visit a doctor. However, as history has shown with a great disadvantage of many people working with coal, economic concerns can maintain people despite health risk and speed up the development of PMF.
The diagnosis of black lung diseases is made through medical history and X -ray lungs, which can show where the nodes have been formed. Information on disruption of breathing, respiratory problems and chronic cough is also valuable in diagnosis. If in their early stages they can afterPeople still live quite normal lives, especially if they change their work environment. Some people benefit from supportive treatment, such as access to oxygen or using inhalers such as asthma inhalers.
Unfortunately, there is no cure and lives of thousands of coal workers for PMF. The safer practices of miners, especially in developed countries, now significantly reduce the risk of coal dust exposure. The black lung disease still affects many people who have worked before accepting such safety standards, as well as those who work in developing countries that do not have such standards.