Diagnosis of Lung Disease

How Is Lung Disease Diagnosed As An Occupational Illness?

If you go to see your doctor with any potential symptoms of a lung disease, the first thing they are likely to do is to ask you a series of questions about your symptoms; when they started, how long they have gone on for, what effect they have on your life, and will also discuss your family history to find out if other members of your family suffer or have suffered from related symptoms or effects. They are likely to ask you if you smoke, and if so will probably suggest ways that you can get support in giving up. They will also most likely ask you questions about your work history; the type of work you have been involved with, the location and the nature of the role you performed. They will ask you if you know about being exposed to any potentially dangerous substances; dusts, fumes, chemicals at any point within your career – it is important to understand that many lung diseases and conditions do not manifest themselves or become apparent for many years after any exposure has taken place.

Tests

Your doctor will test your breathing by placing a stethoscope against your chest and listening for any signs of damage; such as wheezing or difficulty in exhaling. They may also calculate your body mass index by measuring your height and weight.

Another test they may carry out uses a machine called a spirometer. In this test you will be given a drug called a bronchodilator which helps to widen the airways, you will then be asked to breathe into a machine which will measure how much air you breathe out within one second, as well as measuring the total amount of air that you can exhale. These readings can be compared with normal results for your age to display how much your airways are obstructed.

A Bronchoscopy using a tiny camera mounted on the end of a flexible tube might be used so that the doctor can see inside your air passages.

A chest X-ray might be used to look for problems such as signs of an infection or even lung cancer.

Blood tests can help to discern if you have any deficiency that might make you more susceptible to lung disease, but also to identify other issues such as anaemia or polycythaemia – both of which can present symptoms that can appear similar to those of a range of lung diseases.

In some case further tests will be needed to confirm the diagnosis or to help determine the severity of the condition. These might include:

• Computerised Tomography (CT) scan – see any issues within the lung
• Electrocardiogram – to measure the electrical activity of the heart
• Echocardiogram – an ultrasound scan of the heart
• Blood oxygen test – to measure the oxygen levels in the blood
• Peak Flow Test – to measure your ability to breathe out
• Phlegm sample – to look for signs of infection

For a doctor to diagnose any kind of lung disease as an industrial illness; namely a disease that has been caused as a result of workplace activities, they will rely on the results of the tests mentioned above, but will also consider your work history, whether or not you smoke or have smoked, and whether your family has a history of lung disease. While smoking and genetic disorders do not guarantee that the condition was not brought on or exacerbated by work, they can make it more difficult to give a clear diagnosis of a work-related illness.

If it can be proved that your condition was brought on by, or made worse as a result of exposure to substances such as dust, fumes or particles within your workplace, and that your employer failed to take sensible and practicable steps to protect your welfare and that of the workforce in general, then it is likely that it can be diagnosed as a workplace illness for which you will be able to make a claim for compensation.

Contact us today for free, no obligation advice regarding your Lung Disease claim – either by calling us free on 0800 122 3130, or by requesting a free call back, whereby one of our team will contact you at a time of your choosing to discuss your situation. When you contact us you are under no obligation to continue with the case unless you wish to do so.

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