Black lung is a disease that is chronic and it usually occurs after an individual has breathed in coal mine dust after a long period of time. This can be unknown to the individual and can occur in children, adults, and in the elderly. There are other names for black lung disease such as coal worker’s pneumoconiosis, silicosis, miner’s asthma, black spittle, and anthracosis.
There is a risk for people who hold an occupational role in a coal mine, or people that live nearby a coal mine. It can happen to anyone that breathes coal mine dust for a prolonged period of time. It usually starts to affect coal miner’s after the age of fifty and there may have been no present symptoms up until that age.
The carbon coal dust and silica is what causes black lung disease and it is very common for one in twenty five miners to have the early stages of pneumoconiosis. Many people live to an older age with black lung disease. Black lung from smoking is not a cause. People who smoke for years can show signs of blackness of the lungs as the addiction progresses, but it is not formally the cause of black lung disease. Either way, it is advisable to quit smoking as soon as possible to lengthen longevity. Black lung disease develops over time and with the inhalation of coal. One would think this could definitely be a program as with inhaling any pollutant.
The most common symptoms of black lung disease are as follows:
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An extreme cough, constant coughing, and throat soreness from the cough.
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Shortness of breathe, wheezing, and obstruction of the airways.
The risk of developing black lung disease results in how much coal mine dust that was inhaled during the years. Nowadays, there should be protective measures for coal miners and workers. Black lung disease has some severe forms and can even stress and stretch the heart. This extensive strain on the heart may lead to a failure in a special area of the heart. It has been shown that some people in rare cases of black lung disease develop emphysema over time which can cause shortness of breath and the narrowing of air passages.
Simple pneumoconiosis is what black lung is called in its early stages and it is non-reversible. A coal miner might not notice any of these symptoms and keep on performing their regular work duties. Some coal miner’s do not develop an extreme condition of lung disease. It may not be reversible, but the progress may be slowed if the worker leaves the coal mine dust environment. Pulmonary function tests and chest x-rays are usually the most common ways to detect black lung in its early stages. At the moment, there is no cure for this horrible disease and the only prevention is to stay away from areas where black coat dust might be lingering. It is a good idea for all individuals to stay far away from polluted or chemically polluted areas.
