Treatment
There is no specific therapy that can cure or alter the course of silicosis. The first step in the treatment of silicosis is to prevent further exposure to silica dust.
Patients if smokers should quit smoking.
Immunization against influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia is advised.
Patients with acute silicosis may benefit from corticosteroids. Steroids have not been found to be much value in chronic silicosis.
The most recently established guidelines advise treatment of active tuberculosis (TB) with multiple drugs. Latent TB is treated with the drug isoniazid.
Complications like airflow obstruction, cor pulmonale, respiratory failure are treated accordingly.
Surgical care: Advance silicosis may require lung transplantation in selected patients (without other co morbid conditions).
