Silicosis
Silicosis is a lung disease caused by breathing in silica dust. You could develop silicosis if you had to grind down rock, concrete, or granite at your job. Lung Cancer Group can help you explore treatments and compensation if you’ve developed silicosis — get started now.
What Is Silicosis?
Silicosis is a serious illness you or someone you love could develop years after breathing in or swallowing crystalline silica dust. This dust is often released when working around materials like granite countertops or stone.
Breathing the dust in, particularly over long hours for months or years at a job, can damage your lungs, leading to silicosis and other lung diseases.
Silicosis Quick Facts
- Silicosis cases are on the rise. Since the early 1990s, cases have risen by almost 65%, with nearly 140,000 diagnosed each year, according to Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
- Silicosis is the most common form of pneumoconiosis (lung diseases caused by breathing in workplace dust). It makes up 90% of all cases, according to BMC Public Health.
- While it cannot be cured, the average survival time is 15 years in patients who get treated early on.
It can be very concerning to know that you have silicosis or another type of lung disease. However, we’re here to support you during this challenging time.
Get a Free Case Review now if you or someone you love has been diagnosed with silicosis. We may be able to help you explore treatments and financial compensation options.
- Understand risk factors
- Find top treatments
- Pursue compensation
Silicosis of the Lungs Causes
The cause of silicosis is breathing in silica dust. Similar to asbestos, these dust particles are microscopic and can get stuck in your lungs. They’re really sharp and won’t leave the body, leading to long-term irritation, lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis), and stiffening.
Crystalline silica is used in construction materials like:
- Clay
- Concrete
- Granite
- Quartz
- Sand
- Stone
“Silica is a form of quartz that is found naturally in almost all rock, sand, soil, brick, and concrete products. Exposure to fine silica is a serious threat to nearly 2 million U.S. workers.”
— Dr. Jamie Garfield, lung specialist
There is no other cause of silicosis other than inhaling or swallowing dust contaminated with silica particles.
Silicosis Symptoms
Symptoms of silicosis affect the respiratory system and may vary depending on the severity of the disease. At first, you might not even know you have silicosis.
Early silicosis symptoms may include:
- A cough that does not go away
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness and fatigue
As silicosis continues to damage your lungs, symptoms can worsen to severe chest pain, weight loss, and even respiratory failure that causes death.
Talk with your doctor if you are experiencing any potential symptoms and have a history of silica or asbestos exposure. These could be signs of silicosis or other serious conditions like lung cancer.
Who Is at Risk of Silica Dust Exposure?
Workers across many industries are at increased risk of exposure to silica particles. About 2.3 million Americans have been exposed to silica at work, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
Jobs with a high risk of silica dust exposure include construction work, drywall work, and heavy equipment operation. That said, anyone performing renovations or working around silica-containing minerals may have been exposed.
You could have been exposed to silica dust on the job through:
- Breaking or grinding silica-containing material
- Cement surfacing and paving
- Ceramics and glass manufacturing
- Demolishing buildings with high amounts of silica-based materials
- Metal casting or other foundry work
- Mineral ore-treating processes
- Quarrying (extracting stone) and stone cutting
- Sand casting or sandblasting
- Tunneling
“Most of my patients diagnosed with silicosis can link that chronic lung disease back to an exposure that they had at work.”
— Dr. Jamie Garfield, lung specialist
Diagnosing Silicosis
If you’re worried that you may have silicosis, see a doctor to get a diagnosis and tell them if you ever worked with rock, granite, or stone at your job. From there, doctors can work to diagnose you through a couple of different steps.
Here’s how doctors diagnose silicosis:
- Physical examinations to check for any notable symptoms
- Imaging tests such as chest X-rays and computed tomography scans (CT scans)
- Pulmonary function tests, which examine how the lungs are functioning
- Testing sputum (mix of saliva and mucus coughed up from the lungs)
In some cases, doctors may also recommend blood tests or biopsies (removal of tissue) to rule out other conditions, such as lung cancer.
Once doctors determine you have silicosis, they can then recommend treatments to help you have the highest quality of life possible.
Diagnosing and treating silicosis can be expensive. Thankfully, Lung Cancer Group may be able to help. Contact us now to learn more about the options available to you.
Types of Silicosis
There are three types of silicosis: acute, chronic, and accelerated. The type of silicosis a person is diagnosed with will depend on how much silica dust they were exposed to and for how long.
The table below breaks down each type of silicosis.
| Type | Silica Exposure Level | Length of Exposure |
|---|---|---|
| Acute Silicosis | Extremely high | 5 years or less |
| Accelerated Silicosis | Moderate to high | Around 5-10 years |
| Chronic Silicosis | Low to moderate | 15-20 years |
The most common type is chronic silicosis, according to Cleveland Clinic. Still, each type is dangerous and can have a big impact on your overall quality of life.
Silicosis Stages
There are three stages of silicosis that show how badly your lungs have been damaged. Doctors can determine which stage you’re in at the time of diagnosis. If you have early-stage silicosis, you’ll typically have more time to live.
The three stages of silicosis are:
- Stage 1 silicosis: Nearly 78% of patients are diagnosed in this stage, according to Frontiers in Public Health.
- Stage 2 silicosis: This stage accounts for 17% of diagnoses.
- Stage 3 silicosis: This is the most advanced stage. Only about 5% of patients are diagnosed with stage 3.
Even if doctors determine that you’re in a late stage of silicosis, you may still have treatment options available to improve your survival time.
Silicosis Prognosis
The prognosis, or expected health outlook, of silicosis depends on when you’ve been diagnosed and your overall health. Generally speaking, the prognosis of silicosis is poor because there’s no cure and your lungs will weaken over time. However, it’s still possible to live for many years with the condition.
Silicosis Life Expectancy
Life expectancy is the average amount of time patients live after a silicosis diagnosis. Patients with silicosis can often live for 10-15 years after their diagnosis, particularly if they are younger. View silicosis life expectancy figures by age below.
Silicosis life expectancies by age:
- Ages 35-44: 14-17 years
- Ages 45-54: 10-12 years
- Ages 55-64: 5-7 years
- Ages 65-74: 5 years
- Ages 75-84: 3-4 years
Source: National Library of Medicine
Silicosis Survival Rates
Survival rates measure the percentage of patients still living a specific number of years after their silicosis diagnosis. If silicosis patients undergo a major lung transplant surgery, the average 3-year survival rate is 76%, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.
Around 25% of silicosis patients had a survival time of 33 years or more, according to the Journal of Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
Silicosis Treatment
While there is no cure for silicosis yet, treatments can help manage your lung function, quality of life, and life span. Doctors can determine which treatments will work best for you following a diagnosis by looking at the specific factors in your case.
Common treatment options for silicosis include:
- Bronchodilator medicines can make breathing easier by widening and relaxing your airways.
- Lung transplants can help people with severe silicosis by halting disease progression and improving quality of life. This may be recommended for late-stage silicosis to improve survival.
- Oxygen therapy delivers highly concentrated oxygen via an air mask or tube through the nasal passage. It can reduce irritation and breathing difficulties.
- Pulmonary rehabilitation helps patients slowly strengthen the lungs through monitored exercise.
Get a Free Case Review to find out if we can help you afford treatments for silicosis and other serious lung diseases.
- Understand risk factors
- Find top treatments
- Pursue compensation
Complications From Silicosis
Because crystalline silica dust can remain in the body forever, silicosis can scar your lungs over a period of decades and make breathing harder. As a result, you could develop other health complications in addition to silicosis.
Common silicosis complications include:
- Autoimmune diseases: Rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and lupus are common among those exposed to silica dust. The Lupus Foundation of America reported that silica dust can increase someone’s risk of lupus by 2-5 times, making it one of the strongest known risk factors for the condition.
- Kidney disease: Kidneys that are weakened or damaged cannot properly filter out toxins and waste from the blood, leading to multiple other health issues.
- Lung cancer: Approximately 230 people are diagnosed with silica-related lung cancer each year, according to Cancer Council.
- Lung nodule growths: These are small, noncancerous lumps that form in the lungs.
- Progressive massive fibrosis: Scarring caused by silica dust can continue to spread throughout the lung and greatly limit its function.
- Pulmonary hypertension: As damage to the lungs continues, blood flow throughout the lungs can be limited, causing high blood pressure.
- Recurrent chest infections: Because your lungs have been weakened by silicosis, you have a greater risk of infections like bronchitis and pneumonia.
Silicosis can also lead to death in the most severe cases as a result of severe lung damage or other serious complications.
Legal Options for Silicosis
If you’re facing silicosis after working with or around materials containing silica dust, you may qualify to file a lawsuit. Silicosis lawsuits can help you seek money to pay for treatments and other expenses. While each case is unique, some lawsuits have awarded millions of dollars to other patients.
A California man suffering from silicosis received $52.4 million from three artificial stone slab manufacturers. He underwent a double lung transplant at the age of just 34 and will likely require further transplants in the future.
A compassionate silicosis lawyer can help you through the legal process, gathering information to build your lawsuit and fighting for the highest payouts possible in your case.
Lung Cancer Group works with some of the top silicosis attorneys across the country who are committed to helping people like you receive justice. Get a free case review to find out if you can file your silicosis lawsuit with their help.
Get Help After a Silicosis Diagnosis
Silicosis can change your life and bring a lot of uncertainty about the future. You didn’t deserve to develop this serious illness simply from doing your job and supporting your family.
At Lung Cancer Group, we’re ready to support you if you have silicosis or other serious health issues affecting your lungs.
Work with our team to:
- Explore medical options
- Pursue financial compensation
- Receive the support you deserve
Get a free case review or call (877) 446-5767 to connect with our team right now. We’ll do all we can to help you and your loved ones during this difficult time.
Silicosis FAQs
How long can you live with silicosis?
Some silicosis patients can live for over 15 years with this condition, particularly if they’re younger and in better overall health. Older patients diagnosed in advanced stages may live for 5 years or less.
Your doctor can give you a better idea of your specific silicosis life expectancy based on the unique factors in your case.
What are the first signs of silicosis?
The first signs of silicosis include shortness of breath and coughing up sputum (a mix of saliva and mucus), according to the American Lung Association.
The symptoms won’t go away or improve over time. This is because the symptoms are caused by lung scarring from silica dust, and there’s no way to stop the damage from worsening. However, treatment can slow the progression of silicosis.
Contact us now if you’re concerned that you have silicosis or another serious lung disease. We can help recommend next steps.
Who is most likely to get silicosis?
You’re at a high risk of silicosis if you worked with silica-based materials. Jobs that could have exposed you include working with drywall or plaster, installing granite countertops, or cutting stone.
All of these jobs could have sent silica dust flying into the air. Breathing it in could damage your lungs and lead to silicosis later in life.
How much silica dust causes silicosis?
You’re more likely to develop silicosis if you are exposed to high concentrations of silica dust through your job. This is because you were likely exposed on a daily basis for months or years.
With that said, even regular exposure to low levels of silica dust could put you at risk. The best way to limit the odds of developing silicosis is to avoid silica dust altogether.
How long does it take for silicosis to set in?
Silicosis usually happens after being exposed to silica for 10 to 20 years. However, it can sometimes develop after 5 years or less of heavy exposure.
If you’ve been diagnosed with silicosis, we may be able to help you pursue compensation to cover treatment costs. Call (877) 446-5767 now to learn more.
Can lungs heal from silicosis?
No, it’s not possible for lungs to heal from silicosis. There’s no cure for this condition, so the lungs will slowly weaken over time.
Treatments like oxygen therapy, medications, and pulmonary rehabilitation can slow the damage down, though. In severe cases, you may need to get a lung transplant to live longer with silicosis.
Is silicosis fatal?
Yes, silicosis can be fatal because as time goes on, your lung function will become progressively worse to the point where life-threatening complications occur.
With that said, it’s still possible to live for many years with silicosis if the condition is diagnosed early on and promptly treated.
