General News
6 April, 2025
Call the Doctor: public health
Whenever one discusses ways to manage or avoid disease, there is a risk that the discussion itself will cause harm.
After hearing such things people can overreact or underreact.
For example, if I were to write a column on how many 'coughs and colds' do not need antibiotics or to be seen to by a doctor, it would inadvertently cause some people to avoid seeking care when they actually need it.
Likewise, if I wrote about the absorption of micro-plastics through the skin and the subsequent hormonal effects, some people would anxiously avoid activities to the extent that it would cause disruption to their social and working lives.
None of what I am writing is advice; independent medical advice should be sought for concerns.
In this edition I am making the personal judgement that it is overall in the best interest of society to be aware of what I have to share.
While an intern in Adelaide I collaborated with a professor of respiratory medicine looking at what is known as 'occupational lung disease'.
Also referred to as 'environmental lung disease', this broad range of conditions mostly occurs from inhaling foreign material.
If you as the reader are concerned that discussing this topic may be triggering or may result in a harmful over/underreaction, please consider stopping here.
The professor and I focused on a disease called artificial stone associated silicosis.
This is the devastating condition that occurs after inhaling dust from the grinding/cutting of specific silica-based benchtops.
It causes rapidly progressive lung damage that eventually requires lung and heart transplantation.
This type of benchtop is now banned to manufacture in or import into Australia.
There are, however, other inhaled materials that cause less severe disease but are more common.
Gas for heating and cooking is now attributed to have caused a significant percentage of the population's asthma.
The Victorian Government considered this when restricting gas connections being installed for newly built homes.
Inhaling the dust present in the wings of birds can cause lung disease.
Just as the magnitude of someone's history of smoking cigarettes is calculated in number of 'pack years' (one pack a day for a year), regular close proximity to birds is calculated in 'bird years' (daily interaction with one bird for a year).
Studies have shown that sleeping with feathered bedding over a long period can cause lung scarring.
The agricultural industry has its risks, given the exposure of workers to exhaust fumes, chemicals, dust and inhaled plant material.
Some industries are criticised for implementing occupational procedures that still expose workers to unsafe levels of inhaled material.
Commonly, workers do not properly utilise equipment (namely masks) or follow procedures to adequately protect themselves from developing chronic lung disease later in life.
The takeaway message is, as my professor said, anything you breathe that isn’t fresh air is damaging your lungs.
The good news is that while lung tissue is one of the parts of the body least able to regrow once scarred, the respiratory system can be trained to become much more efficient (imagine tuning an engine's air:fuel ratio).
To end on a positive note, one of the many benefits of living rurally is superior air quality, including what is called the 'aerobiome'. Enjoy.