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<br />.' <br /> <br />Sep 11 2007 12:18PM <br /> <br />Silicosis Injury Including Acute Silicosis, Chronic Silicosis and Accelerated Silicosis <br /> <br />LA HAUG ASSOC <br /> <br />9522261203 <br /> <br />within a few years of its development. <br /> <br />Acute Silicosis <br /> <br />Acute sil icosis is the quickest developing silicosis injury. Acute <br />silicosis can develop only weeks after extremely high levels of silica <br />dust exposure. In other cases, acutesUioosis takes up to five years <br />to develop. to either case, acute silicosis does not progress to the <br />chronic stages, as acule silicosis causes massive lung damage In a <br />short period of lime. Hope for patients with acute silicosis is typically <br />limited to a lung transplant. This is usually only possible in younger <br />acule silicosis patients that are stnl strong enough to undergo the <br />surgery. <br /> <br />Acute silicosis is characterized by high levels of fluid and protein <br />particles In the lungs. This material fiUs the sacs in the lungs and <br />leads to extreme difficult breathing, shortness of breath, and <br />respiratory failure. Acute silicosis is associated with se'lere weight <br />loss and is often found in sandblasters. <br /> <br />Back to Top <br /> <br />Silicosis Symptoms <br /> <br />. Sill cosis diminishes lung function with s Elvere damage to tung tissue <br />caused by tt1e formation of large amounts of fibrous scar tissue in <br />the lungs. This scar tissue destroys air and blood passageways, <br />decreasing tung capacity and available oxygen to the body. <br />Symptoms of silicosis include: <br /> <br />ll. Shortness of breath <br />>> Severe, chronic often dry, cough <br />II Loss of appetite <br />>> Weight loss <br />>> Fever <br />>> Chest Pains <br />>> Breathing difficulty <br />)} Coughing up blood <br />)) Problems Sleeping <br />)) Hoarseness <br /> <br />Back to Top <br /> <br />Silicosis Treatment <br /> <br />Treatment fOl' slliC9sis injury is limited. Since there is no cure for the <br />disease, there is no specifiC treatment for silicosis. Physicians often <br />focus on maintaining patient comfort and slowing the progression of <br />silicosis. <br /> <br />The first step in slowing the progression of the disease is to <br />eliminate the patient's exposure to toXic crystalline silica dust Once <br />silica exposure is eliminated, the silicosis patient is encouraged to <br />quit smoking Of he or she smokes) and to eliminate as. many <br />sources of respiratory initatbn as possible. Cough suppression <br />drugs, breathing aids and oxygen may all be used to help silicosis <br />injury patients breathe easier. SiIlcosis injury patients are closely <br />watched to make sure they don't develop imections. Since the <br />silicosis patient's immune system is typically weak, he or she can <br />develop lung infections very easily. Close monitoring allows such <br />infections to be quickly treated. <br /> <br />Silicosis patients are routinely tested for tuberculosis because one <br />of the major side effects of silicosis is the development of <br /> <br />http://www.silicosisclaims.com/silicosis _injury_html <br /> <br />p. 11 <br />Page 20f3 <br /> <br />9/10/2007 <br />