Exposure - Symptoms & Health Effects

As mentioned, exposure to cotton dust causes a lung disease called byssinosis. Short-term symptoms of byssinosis include chest tightness and breathlessness. Byssinosis can progress to include coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, fever, chills, and upper respiratory infections. These symptoms often disappear during periods away from work and then reappear when the person is exposed to cotton dust again. After long-term exposure to cotton dust, though, byssinosis can in turn result in chronic bronchitis and emphysema, causing irreversible damage and creating lifelong breathing problems. Byssinosis is also known to worsen or induce the effects of asthma. In some cases, byssinosis can be disabling. In other cases, it can result in death.

Exposure to cotton dust can also cause an inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, including congestion, sneezing, itching, and runny nose.

To learn more about Cotton Dust Safety visit our Cal/OSHA Cotton Dust Safety Online Training web page.