Is silicosis a progressive condition?

Is silicosis a progressive condition?

Roy Artal (Pulmonologist and Critical Care Physician) gives expert video advice on: Am I at risk for breathing silica dust?; What are the symptoms of silicosis?; If I work with silica dust, can I expose family or friends? and more...

Silicosis is a progressive condition, unfortunately. There's no cure for the disease. The damage that's been done, the scarring that's been done and so forth cannot be reversed. It's basically a matter of treating symptoms - if one needs oxygen, then give them extra oxygen. Unfortunately there's no medication that can reverse the damage that's been done. Occasionally, lung transplantation is used as an option for treating people with end stage silicon lung related disease, but lung transplantation itself is a very difficult surgery to undergo and involves a whole number of other risks and concerns. It's not a mainstream option from us people who suffer from this condition.