Chronic Silicosis

Chronic silicosis is the most common form of silicosis. It occurs after 15 to 20 years of moderate to low exposures to respirable crystalline silica. It may be hard for doctors to diagnose, since symptoms associated with chronic silicosis may or may not be obvious. Although frequent chest X-rays are essential for workers who are regularly exposed to silica, a chest X-ray may not reveal an abnormality until after 15 or 20 years of exposure. As the disease progresses, the worker may experience shortness of breath upon exercising, and have signs of poor oxygen or carbon dioxide exchange. In the later stages of the disease, the worker may experience fatigue, extreme shortness of breath, chest pain, or respiratory failure.

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