Anthracosis in and of itself is not considered a disease requiring treatment. it's a condition common to city dwellers who accumulate a nondamaging amount of soot in the lymphatics of the lungs which, when inspected during surgery or autopsy, have a gray rather than a pink appearance. When the accretion of coal dust is sufficient to cause clinical symptoms, the condition is called coal miner's pneumoconiosis or black lung. Asbestosis is a form of pneumoconiosis that is not only an occupational disease common to workers exposed to asbestos dust; it also occurs among members of their families who breathe in the fibers adhering to their clothing. Exposure to asbestos fibers is now known to lead to a rare cancer called mesothelioma as well as to asbestosis.
CAUSES
Both coal miner's pneumoconiosis and asbestosis are the result of inhalation of noxious dust over a long period, thus irritating and congesting the lymphatics of the lungs.
SYMPTOMS
In both diseases, early symptoms resemble those of bronchitis. Simple pneumoconiosis shows up late or not at all on most simple lung-function test and chest x-rays. When the disease progresses, coughing becomes chronic and shortness of breath is accompanied by chest pains. Small scars on the lungs develop and coalesce into large masses of scar tissue to the point where they may occupy half the lung, ripping the air sac walls. In the progress of asbestosis over a 10-20 year period, the groups of fibers that accumulate in the lungs are surrounded with a thick wall of scar tissue, causing the lungs to become inelastic and to contract.
COMPLICATIONS
Since these diseases reduce the capacity of the lungs to hold air, the body has to work harder to fill them, thus putting an extra strain on the heart. Severe emphysema and respiratory infections, including tuberculosis, are additional complications.
TREATMENT
Since lung damage resulting from these diseases is irreversible, no cure for either condition is possible. Both are aggravated by cigarette smoking and by secondary infection. Removal from exposure to the causative dust and periodic x-rays are minimal recommendations.
PREVENTION
Occupational diseases such as these can be prevented only if the most rigid controls are exercised on the industries involved to ensure that proper safeguards are maintained for the protection of workers' health. The installation and maintenance of proper ventilation and protective clothing, the enforcement of laws governing exposure levels, and routine supervision of working conditions are essential preventive measures. These can be monitored by the joint supervision of government and labor agencies with the cooperation of the industries involved.
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