Treatment is to remove the exposure, although silicosis may progress despite removal from the dust environment. In acute silicosis particularly, the clinical course is usually progressive and ends in death due to cor pulmonale and respiratory failure therapy with corticosteroids
What are the health risks of breathing silica?
The key health concern to breathing silica is an incurable lung disease called silicosis. Lung damage from silicosis is permanent, making prevention extremely important. Silicosis usually develops after ten or more years of exposure to silica at low levels.
