Beryllium Illnesses: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Support
Beryllium is a common metal found in computers and golf clubs. Although solid metals are safe, beryllium illness occurs when people with an immune response or allergy inhale beryllium fumes or dust. According to experts at UEW Healthcare, treatment for the condition may involve oxygen therapy and corticosteroids to help patients with breathing.
Understanding Beryllium Disease
The dangerous effects of the metal commonly occur because of occupational exposure. There are two main forms of berylliosis: acute and chronic.
Chronic berylliosis develops slowly. In some situations, chronic might not be apparent immediately; it may takes years. It is usually characterized by the granulomas formation or inflammatory masses in some organs or tissues.
On the other hand, acute beryllium disease has a rapid and sudden onset. Acute is often characterized by coughing, dyspnea, or severe inflammation.
Causes
Exposure to the metal is the main cause of beryllium disease. Industries that mostly use metal include metal machine shops, defense, and electronics. You can also find the metal in jewelry-making tools, dental appliances, and computer parts. The component is often absorbed through the human skin or inhaled as particles.
Once you are exposed to the metal, your body will mount a cell-mediated immune response that involves T-cells, a form of white blood cells that are sensitive to beryllium. Every time you are exposed, your immune system gets exposed to the skin or lungs, where the metal accumulates.
Signs and Symptoms
You may not notice symptoms immediately but with time, you may develop the following symptoms:
- Appetite loss
- Joint and chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Night sweats
- Fatigue
- Dry cough
Diagnosis
Berylliosis diagnosis is based on lung biopsy to document inflammation and beryllium sensitization and CT or chest X-ray. Chest X-rays might show normal or diffuse infiltrates, which can be reticular or nodular in the lung zones, mostly with mediastinal and hilar adenopathy resembling patterns seen in sarcoidosis. Chest CT with high resolution is more sensitive than X-rays, but cases of biopsy-proven illness occur even in individuals with imaging test results.
Treatment
Berylliosis treatment is different for every patient because the progression and cause of the condition differ for everyone. Although not everyone with the condition requires treatment, most patients need treatment while the disease progresses. The kind of treatment patients require depends on the condition’s severity.
Generally, the treatment goals focus on improving symptoms, improving the levels of oxygen in the bloodstream, and protecting the lungs from damage caused by scarring/inflammation.
Support
Doctors advise patients to avoid further exposure to the metal. Depending on the symptoms and extent of respiratory damage, your doctor will provide support and care. Therapy accompanied by glucocorticoids depends on the severity of the symptoms, radiographic involvement, and physiologic impairment.
In conclusion, facilities using products containing beryllium must implement control programs to reduce exposure to the metal. OSHA in the US has set the metal’s exposure limit to 0.2 mg/cubic meter of air. With this limitation, we expect the number of cases to be minimized.
