Will the dust everywhere cause pneumoconiosis?

Author: Ye Qiao, Chief Physician, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University

Reviewer: Mi Yuhong, Chief Physician, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University

Sandstorms should be natural phenomena occurring in desert areas, but due to the influence of atmospheric circulation, strong winds and other factors, there are also several days of sandstorm weather every year in many plains areas.

When the situation is serious, the sky is filled with yellow sand. As soon as you go out, you feel your nose, ears, and mouth are full of sand, which makes you extremely uncomfortable.

1. Will severe sandstorms cause pneumoconiosis?

As the name suggests, pneumoconiosis is caused by inhaling mineral dust. In fact, it is not a disease, but a type of disease.

For example, inhalation of silica and silicates can cause silicosis, asbestosis, talc pneumoconiosis, etc.; inhalation of carbon dust can cause coal worker's pneumoconiosis, graphite pneumoconiosis, etc.; inhalation of metal dust can cause aluminum pneumoconiosis, welder's pneumoconiosis, etc.

The main component of yellow sand is silicon dioxide. If people live in desert areas for a long time and are often exposed to sandstorms and inhale large amounts of yellow sand, they may develop silicosis.

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For most people, they only encounter sandstorms occasionally, and they can wear masks and take good protection when going out, so they generally will not suffer from pneumoconiosis.

Therefore, the high-risk group for pneumoconiosis is mainly those workers who are engaged in mining, construction, casting, welding, stone processing and other activities and are exposed to mineral dust for a long time.

2. Which type of pneumoconiosis is the most serious?

Silicosis is a relatively serious type of pneumoconiosis that has a greater impact on the pathology and physiology of the lungs. Patients will experience severe symptoms and the disease progresses rapidly, with even decreased lung function, hypoxemia, respiratory failure, and even death.

For example, workers engaged in interior decoration, when installing kitchen countertops, often use dry methods to grind and cut artificial quartz stone, that is, they use a cutting knife to cut the stone and install it without water or spraying.

This will form a large amount of fine dust with a diameter of less than 15 microns. If the construction site is poorly ventilated and the workers do not take effective protective measures, the dust will be directly inhaled into the lower respiratory tract and damage the lungs.

The dust of artificial quartz is mainly composed of crystalline silica, which can cause silicosis, a relatively serious form of pulmonary fibrosis. Silicosis progresses very quickly and can often become fatal in a few months to a few years.

However, for some other milder types of pneumoconiosis, if the amount of dust inhaled by the patient is relatively small, there may not be too many symptoms and the patient can generally return to normal life and work.

3. How is pneumoconiosis generally treated?

In general, pneumoconiosis requires a comprehensive treatment plan.

Once you have pneumoconiosis, you should immediately stop working in dusty environments and leave such jobs. If pneumoconiosis is caused by exposure to sand and dust, you should also leave such an environment. In short, avoid contact with dust. Since smoking and dust have a synergistic pathogenic effect, that is, they can cause double harm, people in dusty environments should also avoid smoking or passive smoking.

Secondly, it is necessary to assess whether the pneumoconiosis patient is suffering from hypoxia. If hypoxemia or even respiratory failure has occurred, long-term oxygen therapy and oxygen inhalation are required, which is also very important.

In addition, pneumoconiosis patients need a balanced diet, especially high-protein nutritious foods, such as meat, eggs, and milk, to improve their resistance. Pneumoconiosis patients should not only eat well, but also do rehabilitation exercises. Rehabilitation exercises can alleviate respiratory and systemic symptoms, improve mental and psychological conditions to a certain extent, and improve the quality of life of patients.

For patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pulmonary hypertension, tuberculosis, connective tissue disease, or other lung diseases, appropriate drug or non-drug treatment should be carried out in a timely manner, complications should be actively treated, the patient's lung function should be stabilized, and the patient's physical condition should be improved.

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4. What should patients with pneumoconiosis pay attention to in their daily lives?

First, avoid exposure to dusty environments again. For example, for pneumoconiosis caused by working in coal mines, after treatment, patients are not recommended to do dusty work such as welding.

Second, quit smoking. Tobacco is a clear carcinogen, and it and pneumoconiosis are synergistic pathogenic factors. Studies have found that 1/3 of pneumoconiosis patients have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. For pneumoconiosis patients who smoke, the risk of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease will increase by 4.5 times.

Third, get a flu shot. Pneumoconiosis is a chronic lung disease. Before the flu comes every year, getting a flu shot can prevent the flu and also prevent or reduce the occurrence of pneumonia, thus protecting the lungs.

Fourth, balanced nutrition and proper exercise. Of course, this sentence applies to everyone. It should be noted that if you are doing professional respiratory function rehabilitation exercises, in order to ensure the effect, you need to do it under the guidance of a professional physician.