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Black lung disease is a serious medical condition most often connected to coal miners who have breathed in dust over the course of doing their job. Recent reports show that black lung disease is on the rise, which means that more people are curious about whether or not you can die from black lung.
New cases of black lung had been declining until relatively recently. Black lung disease has resurged as a serious threat for coal miners in recent years, even those who used respiratory masks and safety equipment while on the job.
What Is Black Lung?
It is well documented that underground mining is one of the most dangerous occupations throughout the country. This is because the risks include inhaling gases like carbon monoxide, hydrogen sulphate and methane. Other threats are posed by drowning in tunnels filled with water and injuries in explosions and fires.
When coal miners inhale dust, it deposits along their airways and white blood cells inside the body are unable to breakdown the dust. This means that these then die and release enzymes that damage the patient’s lung tissue.
What Is an Early Indication of Black Lung?
Many of the problems from inhaling these toxins include symptoms similar to chronic bronchitis, fibrosis or emphysema. The most serious version of black lung is known as progressive massive fibrosis.
Some miners won’t have any side effects of black lung at all until the situation has progressed.
What Makes Coal Miners at Greater Risk for Developing Black Lung?
Some coal miners do die from black lung. Miners typically work up to 12 hours a day and up to 7 days a week in their occupation. This decreases the recovery time needed to heal damage from coal dust and silica particles. This also increases their exposure time because of the long amount of the time that they work underground in these dangerous conditions.
Are More Coal Miners Passing Away from Black Lung?
According to the CDC, there is a widening gap in the potential life lost to life expectancy. This is the result of research carried out by the CDC and published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly report in August 2018 and specifically had to do with the diagnosis of progressive massive fibrosis, the most aggressive form of black lung disease.
The CDC shows that coal miners who died of black lung disease in recent years lost more of their years of life relative to their anticipated life expectancies than workers dying of occupational illness just a few decades before.
How Can A Patient Identify Symptoms of Black Lung?
Black lung disease is also known as pneumoconiosis, sometimes abbreviated CWP for coal workers’ pnemoconiosis. Some patients with this condition have no symptoms at all, particularly in the early stages of the condition. Conditions can include chest tightness and cough or shortness of breath.
The American Lung Association suggests that any patient who begins to experience these symptoms should report them to their doctor immediately. If you believe that you were subjected to this even though you wore your mask while carrying out coal mining work, you could be eligible to pursue compensation or participate in litigation.
If you or someone close to you developed black lung after using a 3M dust mask, you may benefit from participating in a free 3M dust mask lawsuit investigation. Learn more by filling out the short form on this page.Â
This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.
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