THINK PINK
Healthy Lungs
American Assoc. of
Respiratory Care
Healthy human lung
Our Environment
Our lungs are susceptible to damage caused by
inhaled toxic materials and irritants because the
surface area of our lungs exposed to air is so large
and body’s need for oxygen so great.
Did you know?
• Our lungs have the greatest exposure to air of any
body part.
• Surface area of 300 square feet at rest
(skin only 20 square feet)
• Up to 1000 square feet during a
deep breath
300sq.ft.dingy
20x50ft. pool
Our Lungs
• Link to life -giving oxygen supply to our body
• Every cell in our body needs a constant
Increases to
supply of oxygen
75 litres per
minute with
Breathe 6
heavy
litres of air a
exercise
minute at
rest
8 hr work day/moderate activity
- breathe as much as 300 cubic feet
Respiratory system
Respiratory system:
• Natural mechanisms to
protect lungs against
airborne hazards
• Prevents all but the
smallest respirable
particles from reaching
the alveoli
• Working hard sometimes
bypass part of filtering
system by breathing
through mouth
Occupational Lung Hazards
Lung hazards come in many forms
Agriculture
• Workers exposed to variety of environmental
hazards- potentially harmful to health & well-being
• Considered one of most hazardous occupations
• Organic dusts & toxic gases constitute some of:
– Most common & potentially disabling hazards
– Can affect all parts of respiratory system-nose to
deepest parts of lungs---causing increased rates
of respiratory diseases
Changing patterns of agriculture have paradoxically contributed
to both improved working conditions and increased exposure to
respiratory hazards.
Respiratory Diseases in Agriculture
Organic Dust Toxic
Syndrome (ODTS)Common lung illness
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary (Lung)
Disease- emphysema, bronchitis
Lung cancer
Farmer’s Lung-allergic reaction
Respiratory Diseases in Agriculture
Exposure to hazards in agriculture:
– Linked to excessive coughing & congestion in 20 - 90 % of
farm workers & families.
– Symptoms of chronic bronchitis - observed in as many as
50% of swine confinement workers & grain handlers.
– Chronic (long term) diseases like bronchitis and emphysema
develop due to repeated irritation.
• Organic Dust Toxic Syndrome (ODTS):
– common respiratory illness (short term) that resembles
Farmer’s Lung- is often mistaken for the flu.
• Farmer's Lung: (less common than ODTS)
– An allergic reaction caused by inhaling dust from moldy hay,
straw, and grain. Dairy and grain farmers are the most
common victims. Farmer’s Lung can be acute and develop
to a chronic condition.
Respiratory Diseases in Agriculture
• Times when moldy crops are handled indoors are the most
dangerous.
– For those who are susceptible, repeated exposure damages
lung tissue, causing shortness of breath and a growing
inability to perform strenuous work. Victims eventually may
find it a struggle even to get out of a chair.
• Smoking has the multiplier effect on the lungs with other irritants
that can lead to the development of lung cancer.
Sometimes, substances may affect our lungs for some time before
signs of disease are noticed. This is another reason farmers need to
be aware of the potentially harmful substances found on the farm.
Respiratory Diseases in Agriculture
Occupational asthma
Asphyxiation
(gas/fumes in lungs)
Respiratory Disease in Agriculture
Some illnesses are chronic. The disease lasts for a long time or
lifetime. Eg. Occupational asthma in grain workers.
Occupational asthma
- one study in Sask. found that 27% of farmers presented with a
wheeze (marker for asthma) compared to 10 % of non-farmers
- May develop when become sensitized to allergens such as
grain dust, mold, storage mites or farm chemicals.
- Usually new but can occur in people who already have had
asthma.
Some respiratory diseases are acute. When a person breathes a
harmful substance and becomes ill, they either recover
completely or die, such as after breathing in silo gas.
Asphyxiation- overcome by fumes/ gases that replace oxygen
content.
Respiratory Illnesses and Syndromes
Agricultural
respiratory
conditions tend to
have an overlapping
spectrum. This is a
diagram reflecting
respiratory disease
in swine
confinement
workers. (Adapted
from Von Essen and
Donham.
Respiratory Illnesses & Syndromes
• Respiratory symptoms from agricultural exposures are often
nonspecific & mistaken for common viral or bacterial respiratory
infections.
• A careful occupational history is important to get the proper
diagnosis.
• Soluble gases such as ammonia are normally absorbed into
mucous membranes of the upper airways but when they are
absorbed onto dust particles, they can penetrate further into the
lower respiratory tract than just the gases alone.
• Since gases & dusts usually occur together in agricultural
environments, it is hard to tell the adverse effects apart.
Lung Facts
• One in five Canadians (six million) have a breathing
problem
• More than 2.8 million Canadians have asthma:
– 330,000 cases are Occupational Asthma (OA)
(Many of these cases are directly related to
workers in Swine and Poultry confinement
buildings)
– Asthma is #1 reason for absence from
work/school
Lung Facts
• Lung disorders are the number one cause of short
term disability
• >750,000 Canadians have Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
– 4th leading cause of death (2004)
– 13% of all hospitalizations
– Only half diagnosed & treated
• Decreased quality of life for patients with COPD
• High health service resource use & economic burden
to society
Prevention
Engineering controls
• Ventilation: mechanical recommended- better control
• Methods of controlling dust generation such as mist, oil to feed,
on animals, wet cleaning of surfaces
• Use of leak proof manure storage outdoors
• Monitoring of gas concentrations
Personal protective respiratory devices (NIOSH approved)additional safeguards
Respiratory surveillance
• Baseline lung function test and chest x-ray
• Early recognition of exposure sources and symptoms
Respiratory Surveillance
• Employment setting where workers use or are potentially
exposed to lung hazards should have medical surveillance
• Reduce human & economic toll
• Lung disease- most significant due to severity
• Significant causes of morbidity, disability, early retirement &
death
• Preventable once causes recognized
• HIGH PRIORITY: Recognition of Occupational Lung Disease
hazards & prevention of exposure
Monitoring your Lung Health
A pulmonary (lung) function test involves breathing into a
spirometer. This simple, painless test provides data on lung
volume and ability to breathe.
Annual Lung Function Tests (Who should )
Workers in livestock
confinement
buildings
Grain
Industry
Workers
Dairy farmers
Workers who
smoke
People with
history of
bronchitis,
asthma or
frequent lung
infections
THE LUNG ASSOCIATION, Manitoba
OCCUPATIONAL LUNG HEALTH
Monitoring Program
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•
•
•
•
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Perform lung health screening
Prevention & early detection
On-site or office appointments
Medical surveillance & reports
Lung health trending
Retention of health records for 40 years
The Lung Association of Manitoba offers the only mobile lung monitoring
program in Manitoba.
Occupational Lung Health Monitoring
‘Fitness to
wear’
respirator
testing
Questionnaires
Chest x-rays
Lung function tests
(spirometry)
THE LUNG ASSOCIATION, Manitoba
THE SANATORIUM BOARD -1904
(Tuberculosis Control)
THE LUNG ASSOCIATION, MANITOBA
(Non-profit charitable division of The Sanatorium Board
established in1975 to focus on all respiratory
disorders and disease in MB)
MISSION:
To improve lung health of Manitobans
For more information contact:
Winnipeg: (204) 774-5501
Brandon: (204) 725-4230
Toll free:1-888-566-5864
info@mb.lung.ca
WEBSITE: www.mb.lung.ca