Occupational lung disease
An occupational lung disease includes a variety of lung diseases caused by exposure to airborne substances in the workplace that damage or irritate the lungs. Known causes of lung damage include silica dust, iron ore, asbestos, beryllium, cotton, flax, hemp, aluminum and cadmium, and gases such as chlorine, phosgene, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, nitrogen dioxide and ammonia.
A common occupational lung disease is occupational asthma. It is caused by an airway irritant in the workplace leading to an inflammation of the airways. However, symptoms often do not appear until the person leaves work, making the link between cause and effect difficult to identify. A lung function and inhalation test can help identify the irritant.
Other occupational lung diseases are associated with the development of lung cancer especially in people who smoke cigarettes.
Over time and repeated exposure some occupational lung diseases cause the lungs to become scarred & loose their elasticity (lung fibrosis), making breathing increasingly difficult.