Pneumoconiosis | Symptoms and Diagnosis
Symptoms
Pneumoconiosis often causes no symptoms. When symptoms are present, these may include:
- cough (with or without mucus)
- wheezing
- shortness of breath, especially when exercising
If the cause pneumoconiosis severe pulmonary fibrosis, breathing can become extremely difficult. When this happens, the patient’s lips and nails of the fingers may have a bluish tint. In cases of advanced disease may also have signs of inflammation (swelling) caused by too much strain on the heart.
Diagnosis
Your doctor will ask about your exposure to mineral dusts, the number of years who have been exposed and if used protective clothing and equipment. Also check and pay special attention to your chest. They could also do a chest radiograph, which is then compared with a group of standard radiographs issued by the International Labour Organization (International Labor Office) for the evaluation of pneumoconiosis.
Your doctor may ask breathing tests called pulmonary function tests. In some patients it is necessary to computed tomography (CT). Less often, a doctor will order a test called a bronchoscopy with lung biopsy. By this test involves inserting a flexible tube into the lung and removes a piece of lung tissue for examination in a laboratory.