Byssinosis

Brown lung disease. A respiratory disease resulting from the inhalation of cotton dust.


A lung disease which is a form of pneumoconiosis caused by inhaling cotton dust.


Lung disease caused by breathing in the dust of cotton, flax, or hemp. Symptoms, which are typically more pronounced when the patient returns to work after the weekend rest, are tightness of the chest, shortness of breath, and wheezing.


A narrowing of the airways, or bronchi, produced by the inhalation of cotton, flax, or hemp particles. Byssinosis occurs almost exclusively among people who work with these materials. Susceptible workers exposed to bales of raw cotton and the initial stages of cotton production are most affected. Symptoms include tightness of the chest and wheezing, occurring most commonly on the first day of the workweek when renewed exposure to the material follows a period away from it. Cotton workers often experience diminished symptoms with ongoing exposure throughout the workweek, but when there has been continuous exposure over many years, chest tightness may persist for as long as a person is exposed to cotton dust.


An industrial disease of the lungs caused by inhalation of dusts of cotton, flax, or hemp. The patient characteristically has chest tightness and *wheeze after the weekend break, which wears off during the working week. The causal agent has not been identified.


Chronic inflammatory thickening of the lung tissue, due to the inhalation of dust in textile factories. It is found chiefly among cotton and flax workers and, to a lesser extent, among workers in soft hemp. It is rare or absent in workers in jute and the hard fibres of hemp and sisal. With much-improved working conditions in the UK, where byssinosis is a prescribed disease, the disease is rare, but it is still common in some Asian countries where textiles are manufactured.


Reactive airways disease of cotton, flax, and hemp workers. Byssinosis is caused by the inhalation of dust and foreign materials, including bacteria, mold, and fungi. The disease does not occur in textile workers who work with cotton after it is bleached. It is marked by symptomatic wheezing and tightness in the chest. Symptoms are usually more pronounced at the beginning of each work week than later on.


Byssinosis is a lung disease triggered by the inhalation of dust generated during the processing of flax, cotton, hemp, or sisal. This condition manifests as a sensation of tightness in the chest and difficulty breathing, which may become chronic if continued exposure to the causative agent persists. Symptoms can be alleviated by using bronchodilator drugs and other medications commonly employed in the treatment of asthma. Minimizing the risk can be achieved through practices such as ensuring adequate ventilation and utilizing protective equipment like masks to reduce exposure to the dust.


This lung disease results from prolonged exposure to cotton dust inhalation. It manifests in three distinct stages. In the initial stage, individuals experience an irritating cough, chest tightness, and breathlessness, typically occurring on Mondays, hence the term “Monday fever.” They remain symptom-free for the rest of the week. The second stage is marked by the persistence of these symptoms throughout the week. In the third stage, the condition progresses to severe chest tightness and significant shortness of breath due to chronic bronchitis and emphysema, resulting in permanent disability. This ailment is also known as strippers’ asthma, grinders’ asthma, and cotton card room asthma.


 


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