What is Silicosis?

Silicosis has no cure. Doctors can only treat the symptoms and try to slow the disease down, per the American Lung Association. They cannot reverse the scarring already in the lungs. That’s why early detection matters so much, especially for workers who are still on the job.

Silicosis cannot spread from person to person. It comes only from breathing in silica dust, not from being near someone who has the disease. Family members and coworkers cannot catch silicosis from someone who has it.

Doctors typically start with a chest X-ray or CT scan to look for scarring in the lungs, along with questions about your work history and what you were exposed to on the job, per the American Lung Association. Some more knowledgeable doctors will even ask about how often fabricators work with artificial versus natural stone. Some cases require a lung biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. Knowledge of work history is important, as many cases get misdiagnosed. It often takes a doctor with occupational lung disease experience to diagnose it correctly.

Silicosis and black lung disease are related but different conditions. Black lung disease, also called coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, comes from coal dust, while silicosis comes from crystalline silica dust found in stone, sand, rock and artificial stone. Both are types of pneumoconiosis, a category of lung disease caused by breathing in mineral dust, per the CDC. Both can cause permanent scarring, but the dust behind each disease is different.

Silicosis and COPD are different diseases, though they can look similar and sometimes occur together. Smoking causes many cases of COPD. Silicosis comes specifically from breathing in silica dust on the job, and the American Lung Association lists chronic bronchitis and other lung conditions among the complications silicosis patients face. A doctor familiar with occupational lung disease can help sort out which condition, or combination of conditions, is causing your symptoms.