Risk Factors for Developing Complications
Patients with pneumoconiosis often develop complications like severe lung disease and cancer. Some factors that increase the risk of complications in the common pneumoconioses include -
Silicosis
- Type of dust - Freshly fractured silica or mixture of silica with clay increases the risk of silicosis
- Peak exposures
- Individual susceptibility to silicosis
- Smoking - Smoking may increase a silicosis patient’s risk for cancer
Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis
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- Carbon content of the dust - Development of fibrosis of the lung in coal worker’s pneumoconiosis is more common with anthracite than bituminous dust.
- Smoking - Smoking adds to the lung damage caused by coal worker’s pneumoconiosis
- Proportion of silica in the coal dust
- Intensity of the exposure
- Age of the patient
- The patient’s immunity
- Presence of tuberculosis in the patient
Asbestosis
- Smoking - Smoking increases the risk of cancer in asbestosis patients.
- Intensity of exposure
- Type of dust
