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Symptoms and Signs
Chronic silicosis initially causes no symptoms or old mild respiratory difficulties. Over years it may, however progress to involve most of the lung and may cause dyspnoea (difficulty to breathe) at rest.
Productive cough may occur. With the progression of the disease breath sounds diminish.
Advanced cases may present with:
- Pulmonary consolidation
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Respiratory failure with or without right ventricular failure (heart failure)
Acute silicosis patients experience:
- rapid progress of dyspnoea
- weight loss
- fatigue with diffuse bilateral crackles.
Respiratory failure often arises within 2 yr.
Conglomerate silicosis (complicated silicosis) causes severe, chronic respiratory symptoms.
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Hi Sincerely seeking some professional advice here. I have been exposed to an incident of inhaling silica dust for some 2 hours at a quartz, granite, marble polishing and grinding foundry [as I was tasked to select marble for our new office renovation]. The dust concentration in the enclosure is strong in my opinion (air is of a dusty white fog with strong smell of the stones). Now I noticed phelgm and mild coughing. Do I need an X-Ray examination for symptoms of silicosis? Also, since silica gets retained would anyone who inhaled silica dust, even if of a one off incident eventually develop symptoms of silicosis? Thank you