3. How is Silicosis Diagnosed?

If you are experiencing chronic shortness of breath and were exposed to silica, you should contact your health care provider. Other symptoms of silicosis include fever, cough, weight loss, fatigue, cyanosis (bluish skin) and severe breathing difficulty. Your health care provider will take a careful medical history that includes many questions about your occupational history and other ways you may have been exposed to silica. A physical exam, including a chest x-ray, pulmonary function test and a purified protein derivative (PPD) skin test for tuberculosis, will be performed by your doctor.

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