Pneumoconiosis is a lung disease caused by long-term inhalation of mineral or chemical dust like coal dust or asbestos. Over time, the dust builds up in the lungs and causes inflammation and scarring that makes it difficult to breathe. Symptoms include a chronic cough, excess mucus production, and shortness of breath. Doctors diagnose pneumoconiosis through pulmonary function tests, oxygen saturation tests, and sometimes lung biopsies. While the dust cannot be removed, treatments aim to improve lung function and include bronchodilators, corticosteroids, quitting smoking, and supplemental oxygen therapy.

1. Pneumoconiosis

2. DEFINITION: -
• Pneumoconiosis is a lung disease that affects miners, builders, and
other workers who breathe in certain kinds of dust on the job.
• Over time, the dust gathers in your lungs, and you may find it hard to
get enough air.

3. CAUSES : -
• Pneumoconiosis doesn't show up overnight. It happens after you've
spent years in a place where you breathe in fine mineral or chemical
dust, such as silica, coal dust, or asbestos. When the specks of dust
build up in your lungs, the immune system -- your body's defense
against germs -- swings into action. It sees the dust particles as
invaders and tries to destroy them.
• Your lung tissue often gets inflamed during this process. As a result,
scar tissue may form in your lungs, just as it would after an injury.
Since scar tissue is less stretchy than regular lung tissue, it may
become harder for you to take a full, deep breath.

4. Symptoms
• A long-term cough
• Coughing up large amounts of mucus
• Feeling short of breath

5. Diagnosis
• Doctor may order other tests to better understand your condition.
You may get a pulmonary function test to see how well air enters and
leaves your lungs. An oxygen saturation test shows how much of the
oxygen you breathe makes it to your bloodstream.
• In some cases, your doctor may look at your airways with a tiny
camera or take a small sample of lung tissue (biopsy) to confirm your
diagnosis.

6. Treatment
• There isn't any treatment that can remove the specks of mineral dust
in your lungs. Instead, most treatments try to keep your lungs
working.
• You may need to stop doing the work that led to your
pneumoconiosis. If you're a smoker, your doctor will recommend you
quit to improve your lung health.
• Your doctor may prescribe an inhaled medication such as
a bronchodilator or corticosteroid. Bronchodilators open up your
airways if you have trouble breathing, while corticosteroids can curb
airway inflammation.

7. • If your tests show low levels of oxygen in your blood, your doctor may
suggest you get "supplemental oxygen therapy." In this treatment,
you breathe in extra oxygen through a mask or prongs in your nose.
The oxygen you get this way is stored in a tank or some other kind of
device. Some people use this treatment throughout the day, while
others may need it only at night.