Silicosis is a lung disease caused by inhalation of silica dust. Silica is a naturally-occurring crystal in rocks, and forms the bulk of sand. Types of work which expose a person to breathing in silica include:

• Quarrying
• Mining
• Stone cutting
• Tunneling
• Sand blasting
• Building and road construction
• Glass working

Silicosis does not occur overnight. If the exposure were very intense, it might develop in a year or two, but breathing of the dust would usually have to continue for 10 or 15 years before symptoms developed.

Symptoms

• A chronic cough
• Shortness of breath
• Fever
• Weight loss

Treatment

To diagnose silicosis, breathing tests would be given, along with a chest X-ray, and other tests designed to rule out other possibilities.

There is no treatment for silicosis beyond medications for cough suppression, and if it gets worse:

• Bronchodilators
• Oxygen
• Antibiotics for respiratory infections

If a person smokes as well as works amid silica dust, their lung condition will be more severe. People with silicosis are at greater risk for tuberculosis (TB) because it appears that silica dust impairs the body's immunity to TB bacteria.

If you have silicosis, and you think it was caused by your work conditions, you may be able to file a claim against your employer and perhaps other entities for compensation. Don't delay in contacting a competent personal injury lawyer. With your health to work on, it will be a comfort and support to have an experienced attorney working for you and representing you. Contact Rockford injury lawyer Barry Doyle for your free legal consultation. No recovery, no fee.

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