Tiny particles of silica or quartz dust, often invisible, can lodge in the lungs and, over time, cause irreversible scarring that can develop into the incurable lung disease silicosis. Symptoms of silicosis may not begin to show for decades after exposure, so someone who worked around silica dust when young can develop silicosis in middle age.
The symptoms of developing silicosis include:
People suffering from silicosis may be at increased risk for other lung diseases, like tuberculosis, fibrosis, emphysema, and perhaps even lung cancer.
The symptoms of the late states of silicosis include:
Silicosis is usually divided into three types:
Silicosis cannot be cured or effectively treated. Health care professionals can only treat the symptoms with oxygen, steroids, and pain and inflammation medications. In some cases, patients need a lung transplant to survive. Approximately 250 Americans die of this disease each year.
If you are working around silica, be sure to follow all OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) guidelines for safety. If you or a loved one has suffered any injury from silica exposure, you may be able to recover damages. Your first step will be to have your case evaluated by an experienced silica attorney. See Hiring a Silica Attorney and Lawyer.
Check out the following articles for more information about Silica, filing a Silica lawsuit and finding a Silica attorney.