- Main symptoms
- What causes Beriliosis
- How to prevent exposure to beryllium
- How to confirm the diagnosis
- How the treatment is done
Berylliosis is a lung disease caused by inhaling dust or gases containing beryllium, a chemical that causes inflammation of the lung and generates symptoms such as dry cough, difficulty breathing and chest pain, which can lead to death if treatment is not started quickly.
This disease mainly affects workers in the aerospace industry and people who live near beryllium refineries and, therefore, to prevent contact with this substance, it is important to take some precautions such as changing clothes after work or showering before going home, for example.
The treatment of berylliosis is usually done in the hospital with the use of corticosteroids directly in the vein and oxygen mask, but, in the most severe cases, it may even be necessary to have surgery to transplant the lung.
Main symptoms
Excessive or prolonged exposure to beryllium can cause symptoms such as:
- Dry and persistent cough; Feeling of shortness of breath; Chest pain; Red spots on the skin; Sore throat; Runny nose.
These symptoms are more common in people who experience sudden and exaggerated exposure to beryllium, however, Berylliosis can also develop in factory workers who work with the substance, and in these cases, the symptoms may take a few months or years to appear..
In cases of very prolonged exposure to Beryllium, the appearance of nodules in the lungs is frequent, in addition to symptoms such as persistent fever, constant chest pain, night sweats, weight loss, sore waters and difficulty breathing that worsens with time.
What causes Beriliosis
The main cause of Berylliosis is the inhalation of smoke or dust with beryllium residues, however, this intoxication can also happen due to contact with the skin.
Because beryllium is used in some specific types of industry, those most at risk of exposure are those working in the aerospace, electronics or nuclear industries.
How to prevent exposure to beryllium
To avoid overexposure to beryllium, care must be taken, such as:
- Wear respiratory protection masks; Having clothes just to wear at work, to avoid taking contaminated clothing home; Bathing after work and before going home.
In addition, it is important that the workplace has adequate ventilation to avoid excessive accumulation of beryllium particles in the air.
Check out other ways to protect yourself from heavy metal contamination.
How to confirm the diagnosis
The diagnosis of Berylliosis is usually made by the pulmonologist when there is a history of exposure to beryllium with signs of persistent cough and difficulty breathing that worsen, without any other apparent cause.
In some cases, the doctor may also order an X-ray or even a lung biopsy, in which a small sample of the organ is taken to be evaluated in the laboratory in order to identify the presence of the substance.
How the treatment is done
Treatment should be started as soon as the first symptoms appear or whenever breathing capacity is reduced.
Thus, it is usually the treatment for Berylliosis that is started with the use of corticosteroids, such as Prednisone, to decrease inflammation in the lung and improve symptoms. In addition, oxygen may be required in the hospital, especially in cases of sudden exposure to beryllium.
In the most severe cases of chronic exposure, in which several nodules and other changes in the lung have appeared, the capacity of the lung may be greatly reduced and, therefore, the only form of treatment recommended is lung transplantation.
