Treatment of Illnesses Associated With Silica Dust Exposure

How is Silica Dust Exposure Treated?

Once your doctor has confirmed a diagnosis of lung disease, there are different ways of treating different diseases, although there is currently no cure available for any of them, in most cases the symptoms can be managed, and sometimes significantly reduced. In all cases, it is important that anyone who has inhaled silica dust avoids doing so going forward, so a change of work type or location might be necessary, and giving up smoking is obligatory.

Asthma

If you have been diagnosed with asthma as a result of your exposure to silica dust, there are a range of treatment options available:

• Inhalers – these deliver drugs directly into the lungs. The two main types are the Reliever Inhaler which is taken to prevent an imminent attack occurring, and the Preventer Inhaler which reduces inflammation and sensitivity in an attempt to reduce the amount of attacks.
• Tablets can be used during an asthma attack, or regularly to try and reduce the likelihood, frequency and severity of attacks.
• Injections of Monoclonal Antibodies are the latest development in asthma treatment, involving the use of targeted biological medicines that reduce the immune system’s response to allergens.
• Surgery called Bronchial Thermoplasty involves applying heat to the muscles surrounding the airways which can stop them narrowing as much, making breathing easier.

Silicosis

Silicosis itself is not treatable, but many of the symptoms can be managed in a bid to increase the quality of life of those suffering from it. Cough suppressants such as medicine or lozenges can help, alongside bronchodilators drugs that can help to open the airways. Steroids can sometimes be helpful in reducing symptoms and aiding breathing, and physiotherapy can help patients increase their chest and lung strength.

COPD

In addition to the treatments that might be used for asthma and silicosis, surgery is sometimes an option for those suffering from COPD. While it is rare and only used if medicinal therapies are not effective or possible, lung surgery takes three forms:

• A Bullectomy removes a pocket of air from the lungs to make breathing more comfortable
• Lung Volume Reduction involves removing damaged areas of the lungs
• A Lung Transplant involves a damaged lung being replaced with a healthy one provided by a donor. These are particularly rare as the risks often outweigh the benefits.

Lung Cancer

In some cases cancerous tumours within the lungs can be removed using surgery, or destroyed using radiotherapy (targeted radiation aimed at the cancer cells to destroy them) or chemotherapy (using powerful drugs to kill the cancer cells), but the treatment is likely to depend on how developed the cancer has become. Sadly in many cases the damage is too severe to be repaired and people’s lives can be significantly shortened as a result.

Contact us today for free, no obligation advice regarding your Silica Dust Exposure claim – either by calling us free on 0800 028 2060, or by requesting a free call back, whereby one of our team will contact you at a time of your choice, to discuss your situation.

We’re here to help – contact us today.