silicosis

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silicosis

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition | 2008 | The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. Copyright 2008 Columbia University Press. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

silicosis , occupational disease of the lungs caused by inhalation of free silica (quartz) dust over a prolonged period of time. Free silica is dispersed in the air and inhaled by workers engaged in the mining of lead, hard coal, and gold, in cutting sandstone and granite, in sandblasting, and in the manufacture of silica abrasives. The irritative action of the silica in the lung results in the formation of nodular lesions; these may coalesce and form massive areas of fibrous tissue. In advanced cases patients experience difficult breathing, coughing with sputum, chest pain, and a tendency to develop tuberculosis or repeated attacks of pneumonia. Once fibrosis has developed there is no cure, and treatment is directed at the management of symptoms. Preventive measures adopted in industries where the hazard of silicosis exists have greatly reduced its incidence.

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silicosis

World Encyclopedia | 2005 | © World Encyclopedia 2005, originally published by Oxford University Press 2005. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

silicosis Chronic, occupational, lung disease, caused by prolonged inhalation of silica dust in occupations such as mining and stone grinding.

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

Free Article Silicosis-related years of potential life lost before age 65 years--United States, 1968-2005.(Clinical report)
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 7/18/2008
Free Article Silicosis in dental laboratory technicians--five states, 1994-2000.
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 3/12/2004
Free Article Silicosis Screening in Surface Coal Miners -- Pennsylvania, 1996-1997.
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 7/14/2000

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

Silicosis-Related Years of Potential Life Lost Before Age 65 Years - United States, 1968-2005
Magazine article from: MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 7/18/2008; ; 700+ words ; ...and other industries and can result in silicosis and other lung diseases. Classic (chronic) silicosis results from exposure to relatively low...for 5-10 years can cause accelerated silicosis, and symptoms of acute silicosis can...
Silicosis-related years of potential life lost before age 65 years--United States, 1968-2005.(Clinical report)
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 7/18/2008; ; 700+ words ; ...and other industries and can result in silicosis and other lung diseases. Classic (chronic) silicosis results from exposure to relatively low...for 5-10 years can cause accelerated silicosis, and symptoms of acute silicosis can...
Silicosis in dental laboratory technicians--five states, 1994-2000.
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 3/12/2004; ; 700+ words ; Silicosis is a debilitating, sometimes fatal...Although crystalline silica exposure and silicosis have been associated historically with...laboratories also place technicians at risk for silicosis (1-3). During 1994-2000, occupational...
Silicosis Screening in Surface Coal Miners -- Pennsylvania, 1996-1997.
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 7/14/2000; 700+ words ; Silicosis is an occupational respiratory disease...respirable crystalline silica dust. Silicosis is irreversible, often progressive...screened to estimate the prevalence of silicosis, to identify risk factors for silicosis...
Silicosis mortality, prevention, and control--United States, 1968-2002.
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 4/29/2005; ; 700+ words ; Silicosis is a preventable occupational lung disease...silica (1); no effective treatment for silicosis is available. Deaths from inhalation...1). Crystalline silica exposure and silicosis have been associated with work in mining...
Silicosis and Tuberculosis in Zambian Miners
Magazine article from: International Journal of Occupational and Environmental Health; 7/1/2005; ; 700+ words ; Silicosis and tuberculosis (TB) are significant mining...from 1945 to 2002. Of these, 22.7% were silicosis, 65.4% TB, and the remaining 11.9% silicotuberculosis. While silicosis cases decreased from 28.6% to 12.4% with...
Silicosis deaths among young adults - United States, 1968-1994.
Newspaper article from: Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; 5/1/1998; 700+ words ; Silicosis is a potentially fatal and typically...dust (1). In the United States, most silicosis-associated deaths occur among persons...However, the continuing occurrence of silicosis deaths in young adults reflects relatively...
SILICOSIS:RICHARD N. LAMINACK
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 7/26/2006; 700+ words ; ...The people who have and do suffer from silicosis have had a profound impact on me - their...over the course of its investigation, silicosis is 1 a lung disease caused by inhaling...manufacturing, and construction. Silicosis exposure is more prevalent in the South...
Silicosis Ruling Could Revamp Legal Landscape
Transcript from: NPR All Things Considered; 3/6/2006; ; 700+ words ; ...BLOCK All Things Considered (NPR) 03-06-2006 Silicosis Ruling Could Revamp Legal Landscape Host: MICHELE...screen tens of thousands of potential victims of silicosis. Silicosis is a deadly lung disease that industrial workers...
SILICOSIS LAWSUITS:ROBERT ALTMEYER
Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 6/6/2006; 700+ words ; ...steps necessary to make a diagnosis of silicosis. First and most important is the fact that a diagnosis of silicosis cannot be made on the basis of a chest...my knowledge, I have not diagnosed silicosis on the basis of a chest x-ray alone...

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