Blacklung

Black Lung

By shae.s

  • First Symptoms (early stages) of black lung disease

    For many, there are no symptoms or noticeable change and effect of life. The first type out of two types of black lung is simple and complicated.
    Early stages may be a cough and sputum (mucus) from inhalation of coal dust, and a cough and shortness of breathe will start to develop.

  • symptoms 2

    These symptoms usually happen very slowly and normally are not aware of them progressing because they are limited to shortness of breathe or just a dry cough and don't make you think of sickness, miners normally blame it on getting older or out of shape.

  • severe symptoms

    progressive massive fibrosis symptoms include
    shortness of breathe
    chronic coughing
    coughing up black mucus
    high blood pressure
    heart problems
    excessive hardening of the skin
    increased sustainability to autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and scleroderma

  • symptoms of black lung disease progress

    Second type of black lung 'the severe stage', is called "complicated black lung". Its serious and can be deadly, its harder to breathe and leads to respiratory failure and heart failure. Fortunately Workers never progress to complicated black lung.

  • diagnosis

    Black lung diagnosis is usually identified from occupational history chest X-rays, with the lungs showing or looking black instead of pink. It is also diagnosed by pulmonary function tests ( breathe into a tube to test how bad your lungs are), arterial blood gas tests.( is taking blood about twice to show whether your blood is carrying enough oxygen).

  • Diagnoses of black lung disease

    Doctors may suspect black lung disease who have been inhaling coal dust for many years.Chest x-rays can reveal small spots on the lung, a characteristic of the simple form of black lung disease. Doctors who suspect progressive massive fibrosis may order a chest CT scan instead to diagnose the condition.

  • treatment for black lung

    Unfortunately, There is no proven effective real cure for black lung. Treatment options for black lung are limited, Doctors may help treat with inhalers and or oxygen tank in severe cases where blood oxygen levels are to low. The lung tissue is now affected and permanently damaged and cannot be repaired.
    To keep black lung from progressing, stop coal exposure all together.