What is Occupational
Lung Disease?
Occupational Lung Disease can best be defined as complications of
the human lung(s) that arise out of the exposure to hazardous chemicals
and/or conditions in the workplace.
Here are most of the types of Occupational Lung
Disease:
• Occupational Lung Cancer is caused by breathing in
carcinogens like coal, asbestos, and petroleum-related carbon compounds.
A wide range of occupational areas are affected. The ALA estimates
that this disease can be attributed to over 15,000 deaths a year.
• Coal workers' pneumoconiosis, or "Black Lung
Disease," is caused by the inhalation of coal dust from a coal
mine. Pneumoconiosis is not reversible. There are two stages to
this disease, simple pneumoconiosis and complicated pneumoconiosis.
Simple pneumoconiosis does not affect working or the carrying on
of most normal activity. In some miners the disease becomes more
severe, entering the complicated stage. Complicated pneumoconiosis,
or Progressive Massive Fibrosis, is more likely to be disabling
of normal function. This disease generally affects coal miners.
The American Lung Association [ALA] estimates that just under 1,000
people die from this disease every year.
• Asbestosis, or a progressive form of the exposure
to asbestos fibers in asbestos, is a disease that creates scarred
lungs. This disease generally affects construction workers. The
ALA estimates just over 200 deaths per year as a result of this
condition.
• Byssinosis, or "Brown Lung Disease," is
a condition that is created by blocked airways, which creates a
major problem to the normal function of the lungs. The dusts from
cotton processing, flax, and hemp cause this condition. This disease
generally affects textile workers. The ALA estimates that about
10 people a year die from this disease.
• Silicosis is a condition that arrises as a result
of long-term exposure to free crystalline silica that resides in
a variety of locations, including mines, foundries, stone/clay/glass
manufacturing, and blasting operations. It can be noted that Silicosis
increases the risk of additional lung conditions to develop, particularly
tuberculosis. This condition affects foundry, manufacturing, and
blasting workers mostly. The ALA notes just under 200 deaths a year
as a result of this disease.
• Occupational Asthma, are asthmatic attacks triggered
by the exposure of dusts, vapors, gases or fumes. These cases represent
about 15% of adult asthma cases. This disease affects those that
have pre-dispositions towards being asthmatic and around these substances.
The ALA does not estimate the number of deaths per year.
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is the result of the
breathing in of bird droppings, fungus from moldy hay, or other
organic dusts. After repreated exposure, inflamation occurs in the
lung's air sacts. This could start a building-up of fibrous scar
tissue in the lung itself. Parts of the lungs may then cease to
function normally. The ALA does not estimate the number of deaths
per year.
Sources:
Occupational Lung Disease Sources
American Lung Association website
[http://www.lungusa.org/diseases/occupational_factsheet.html]
Coal workers' pneumoconiosis Sources
Center for Disease Control website
[http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blung_q2.html]
National Library of Medicine website
[http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000130.htm#contentDescription]
|
|
