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dust exposure and wegeners

morgan33 profile image
42 Replies

Hello everyone i am very much interested in gathering as much imformation of people with wegeners / renal failure that might have been exposed to any form of dust over the years in your working life be it stone dust , wood , cement or any other kind of air pollutant , so if anybody would like to send me a private message of the kind of job you were involved in and what type of dust exposure be it over many years or short time work and your particular illness i would be very grateful as it would be interesting in trying to highlight a link between silica / dust exposure and wegeners as my consultant said he would be interested in the findings .Please dont be offended by my naivity of our illness as i have only been diagnosed eight months myself but there must be wg patients out there that have been exposed to dust and dont realise that it may have contributed to there illness as i only learned of a possible link from google myself , i hope you make the time to send a reply , thank you lee bird .

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simontrotter profile image
simontrotter

I am a stone mason and have been exposed to a lot of dust both sandstone and limestone

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to simontrotter

Hi, Please read my other replies to ther posts In this thread re silica and asbestos causing autoimmune diseases. PM me for further Info if you wish.

zoe69 profile image
zoe69AdministratorVolunteerVasculitis UK

Doctor is not sure it is Wegeners I have( my biopsy didn't help to specify the type...it could be Churg Strauss as well)

I worked most of my adult life in a cleaning and repairing hand made rugs company....a lot of dust really and of different kinds too...

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to zoe69

Hi, Please read my other replies to posts in this thread. PM me if you wish.

valwood profile image
valwood

I used to work as a dispenser in a surgery in the days when we used to tip tablets into a counting machine, this used to cause dust. It's when I first started with sinus problems and nose bleeds. I have GPA.

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to valwood

Hi, Please read my other replies on this thread. I guess there would have been copious amounts of crystalline silica as one of the base/carrier elements of the tablets you worked with. No doubt the dust particles you mention would also have contained mostly particles not seen by the naked eye, those many times smaller than PM 2.5, possibly even nano sized particles. Sadly these are the most harmful of all. NO mask would have protected you from the smaller particles. PM me if you wish.

Jase222 profile image
Jase222

Hi I have MPA since April 2013 and am carpenter and always wondered about fine wood dust

my consul says silica could be the key ?

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to Jase222

Hi, may I ask who your Consultant is? My Consultant and others agree too. I have been researching wood dust and silica causing autoimmune diseases since 2006. Both my husband and I both have WG (GPA) (no we didn't meet via a support group) and he's a wood machinist who's worked with natural wood but mostly wood composite boards such as MDF, chipboard/particleboard, etc. For 5 years he was exposed to a wood cement board that had high content of asbestos and silica. As you will know it's not compulsory to wear PPE in the wood trades. Both natural wood and wood dust rom wood composite boards contain a high silica content. The wood industry has a problem with crystalline silica proving from their own research that premature blunting of industrial strength diamond and tungsten carbide metal saw blades, is caused by the finding of a high silica content in the wood or wood composite board as the cause. If it causes this level of damage to metal blades then what harm is it doing to the lungs of those inhaling it daily, together with an assortment of other carcinogens and toxins, PAH's and possibly dioxins? There are many people out there who are not aware that their current or previous environmental or occupational exposures could be causing their illness, as often they don't go far back enough in their work history or indeed that of a partner, wife, husband, father. When they look more closely the common denominator very often is always dust that is highly likely to contain silica. Any worker exposed to anything harmful takes it home on work clothes, hair and skin to expose loved ones. With any dust the finer the dust, the smaller the size of dust particles the more harmful it is. The dust you can't see is the most harmful. With crystalline silica freshly fractured silica, such as when sawing or sanding, etc., is more harmful, more toxic so fast acting than aged silica. Such a lot to share. If it was a virus or infection more people would suffer from it, it would not be a rare disease, and more would have it in the same family. It's actually extremely rare in families. For example, we are said to be the only known confirmed husband and wife to have WG in the world! The Doctors said the odds are 100 million to one ! So not by chance then. Hence why they said It must be caused by an exposure, hence my years of research.

Greenkit profile image
Greenkit

I have GPA and know it was caused by dust.

The Archive Dept i was working in was relocated and all the boxes had to be sorted. There were boxes on the shelves for over 15 years and it was my job to sort them. Not long after i started to "cough".

My Doctor first treated me for bronchitis, then pleurisy, then bronchitis, then asthma, but nothing stopped it. I had a bronchoscopy but that came back clear. After losing 2 1/2 stone in the following 5 weeks i was admitted to hospital and after loads of tests 7 days later i happened to say i had had a nose bleed i was sent to ENT who said straight away she knew what it was. My Consultant came to see me the next day to say i had Wegener's.

Even now if i go into a dusty place i can feel my nose and throat getting sore/itchy.

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to Greenkit

That's just how my husband started. He was diagnosed with WG (WGA) 7 years after I was. May I ask who your Consultant is? My Consultant and others agree too. I have been researching wood dust and silica causing autoimmune diseases since 2006. Both my husband and I both have WG (GPA) (no we didn't meet via a support group) and he's a wood machinist who's worked with natural wood but mostly wood composite boards such as MDF, chipboard/particleboard, etc. For 5 years he was exposed to a wood cement board that had high content of asbestos and silica. As you will know it's not compulsory to wear PPE in the wood trades. Both natural wood and wood dust rom wood composite boards contain a high silica content. The wood industry has a problem with crystalline silica proving from their own research that premature blunting of industrial strength diamond and tungsten carbide metal saw blades, is caused by the finding of a high silica content in the wood or wood composite board as the cause. If it causes this level of damage to metal blades then what harm is it doing to the lungs of those inhaling it daily, together with an assortment of other carcinogens and toxins, PAH's and possibly dioxins? There are many people out there who are not aware that their current or previous environmental or occupational exposures could be causing their illness, as often they don't go far back enough in their work history or indeed that of a partner, wife, husband, father. When they look more closely the common denominator very often is always dust that is highly likely to contain silica. Any worker exposed to anything harmful takes it home on work clothes, hair and skin to expose loved ones. With any dust the finer the dust, the smaller the size of dust particles the more harmful it is. The dust you can't see is the most harmful. With crystalline silica freshly fractured silica, such as when sawing or sanding, etc., is more harmful, more toxic so fast acting than aged silica. Such a lot to share. If it was a virus or infection more people would suffer from it, it would not be a rare disease, and more would have it in the same family. It's actually extremely rare in families. For example, we are said to be the only known confirmed husband and wife to have WG in the world! The Doctors said the odds are 100 million to one ! So not by chance then. Hence why they said It must be caused by an exposure, hence my years of research.

skipper35 profile image
skipper35 in reply to wooddustaffected

I was exposed to nepheline syenite in the air for many years. Health Department and Environment ministry and manufacturer deny this could be the cause of WG and MPA. The particles are sharp and small but since they do not contain silica - they are from blasting granite - then it isn't involved. Since I seem to be the only diagnosed case they won't admit there is any connection. It has been frustrating to say the least. I have never found a scientific paper that support the dust theory, I do feel for all of you who are exposed to copious amounts of dust and are ill. It's a nasty illness.

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to skipper35

Hi Skipper35, Please don't take this the wrong way as I sympathise greatly with your circumstances but actually you're comment about there being no link to 'dust' is wrong, completely incorrect. Of course they will deny it. Asbestos was said to be the 'magic mineral' now it's a deadly dust that's killed many. Asbestos too, which is very alike in properties to crystalline silica, has more recently been linked to causing autoimmune diseases. There is actually a great deal of evidence for 'dust'. There are lots of stonemasons for example, working with lots of different types of stone including composite stone, who are suffering from both silicosis and WG/GPA/autoimmune diseases. There's more to this, it's very complex. I have posted lots on here and have suffered the consequences for doing so, but there are certain supposed support groups who are extremely biased and will not listen, despite them being given the proof/evidence & lots of it, but what you sometimes have to consider is who funds these organisations and why. Research for example if funded by the industry wanting to disprove harm caused can be skewed in their favour quite easily. Sufferers are often seen as vulnerable, so considered easy pickings, easy prey, but many are stronger than they think!! You don't say how you were exposed to 'nepheline syenite '. I thought this was a silicate??? Particles of any dust will in the lungs cause an inflammatory response. If you really want to know more and are genuinely interested you can learn lots all backed up by evidence so that you can make up your own mind up and make an informed choice, instead of being denied the truth by those who may have ulterior motives for doing so and who can produce no evidence at all to back up what they would like people like us to think. Might be best to PM me, will keep the nasty anti dust trolls at bay. 😉

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected

Yes both my husband and I have Wegeners G. Or GPA Granumatosis with Polyarteriitis as is is known and he is a wood machinist exposed to the crystalline silica in natural wood and also in wood composite boards such as MDF, chipboard, particleboard, asbestos cement board, etc. These boards also contained silica in the waste wood, glues, fillers, binders and protective coatings, etc., that they are manufactured from. Our Consultant to agrees there is a link, a cause. After many years of thorough research and from speaking to many eminent Doctors, Scientists, etc. I am sure it's the silica in wood dust and asbestos/silica in the asbestos board. Asbestos has been linked to causing autoimmune disease too, it contains silicon. When you understand how the immune system works and what an autoimmune response is you will understand why and how silica and asbestos can cause it. Since the World Trade Centre there has been a very high incidence of autoimmune disease including a 'mystery' 'sarcoid like granulomatous disease an autoimmune disease' that very much resembles WG. The Doctors from there phoned me, we spoke for an hour. They were convinced it was the dust. My consultant tells me that that after a huge volcano eruption in Japan there was a high incidence of autoimmune disease then. Overall it is on the increase, there has to be a reason. Trouble is in manufacturing the dust particles can be so small that they cannot be seen with the naked eye, actually it's these smaller particles that are the most harmful as these are small enough to pass through the lung tissue into the blood stream and then to any part of the body which could explain why autoimmune disease such as Vasculitis is systemic. Could explain why in WG sufferers are mostly affected in the lungs and kidneys, both in effect have filtered the dust particles. There is much peer review evidence of this, you just need to know where to look. Remember though when looking for proof you need to remember that WG can come under many headings including further ones to include lung and kidney disease too so the research you do has to encompass all of that for you to get a better understanding. There are also people around in the WG community that do not want there to be a cause at all but now those that do outnumber them as the evidence to prove there is outweighs them. Often people aren't aware that they've been exposed to dust because as I say you cant always see it. You need to research how dust particles behave and about dust particle size. In this case size really does matter. The smaller the particle size the greater the surface area in an exposure, the more toxic its going to be. The expanding knowledge about nano sized particles and nanotoxicology is actually very concerning considering we're living in an increasingly more polluted world. Morgan33 is correct. Please everyone get in touch. Even if you're not sure. We are said to be the only husband and wife couple in the world to both have WG. We both only have upper and lower respiratory tract affected areas, we have no kidney involvement as yet, which signifies to me that its something we've both inhaled. I have always washed his very dusty work clothes and he would have brought it home on clothes, hair and skin too. WG comes under about 10 different headings eg. Autoimmune disease, systemic vasculitis, ANCA associated autoimmune disease, ANCA vasculitis, Autoimmune systemic vasculitis, etc, etc. Not an easy task. I've been researching it since 2006 and there has been a huge change in that time. Dust, silica,asbestos is key to the cause. The cause will lead to improved treatments or finding a cure, because to understand how and why it is caused leads to knowing how to stop it or at very least to prevent it. That has to be good for us all.

Howget profile image
Howget

I have always believed (but with no confirmation) that my wegener's was brought on by an infection that took a long time to heal. However as a student I did spend one vacation with a cleaning company cleaning a factory manufacturing brake pads and I came into close contact with a tremendous amount of dust which would have been a type of asbastos dust. Hope you get the same recovery as I did.

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to Howget

I have been researching wood dust and silica causing autoimmune diseases since 2006. Both my husband and I both have WG (GPA) (no we didn't meet via a support group) and he's a wood machinist who's worked with natural wood but mostly wood composite boards such as MDF, chipboard/particleboard, etc. For 5 years he was exposed to a wood cement board that had high content of asbestos and silica. As you will know it's not compulsory to wear PPE in the wood trades. Both natural wood and wood dust rom wood composite boards contain a high silica content. The wood industry has a problem with crystalline silica proving from their own research that premature blunting of industrial strength diamond and tungsten carbide metal saw blades, is caused by the finding of a high silica content in the wood or wood composite board as the cause. If it causes this level of damage to metal blades then what harm is it doing to the lungs of those inhaling it daily, together with an assortment of other carcinogens and toxins, PAH's and possibly dioxins? There are many people out there who are not aware that their current or previous environmental or occupational exposures could be causing their illness, as often they don't go far back enough in their work history or indeed that of a partner, wife, husband, father. When they look more closely the common denominator very often is always dust that is highly likely to contain silica. Any worker exposed to anything harmful takes it home on work clothes, hair and skin to expose loved ones. With any dust the finer the dust, the smaller the size of dust particles the more harmful it is. The dust you can't see is the most harmful. With crystalline silica freshly fractured silica, such as when sawing or sanding, etc., is more harmful, more toxic so fast acting than aged silica. Asbestos too is now being linked to causing autoimmune diseases. Sadly brake pads used to contain asbestos, and although banned in the UK there are still country's such as India, China, Russia, Canada, etc., where it is not banned at all, so if foreign parts are used, then there is still potential for workers in these industries to be exposed to asbestos. Such a lot to share. If it was a virus or infection more people would suffer from it, it would not be a rare disease, and more would have it in the same family. It's actually extremely rare in families. For example, we are said to be the only known confirmed husband and wife to have WG in the world! The Doctors said the odds are 100 million to one ! So not by chance then. Hence why they said It must be caused by an exposure, hence my years of research.

monikagoyal profile image
monikagoyal

I have wg but i am not sure the root cause is dust bcz i am working as a teacher.It might be a infection. It started with sinus and upper respiratory involved.I am surprised to know that dust can be a cause of wg. Thanks for sharing.

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to monikagoyal

Yes there is actually a great deal of peer reviewed evidence available to prove it but it's not easy as WG comes Under about 12 different headings. It may surprise you to learn that teachers are near the top of the list of those most likely to be affected by asbestos. More recently than silica, asbestos too is now also being linked to causing autoimmune diseases. If there was dust with asbestos then highly likely there was silica too. The two are very similar and in fact when asbestos was banned from building products they replaced it with crystalline silica because the qualities are very similar. Silica is no inert, crystalline silica Is a group 1 carcinogen too. According to WHO and others there is no safe level of exposure to any known carcinogen. Many people don't look far back enough or look closely enough to establish what they have been exposed to and many are unaware that there is often long latency periods with these diseases when caused by an exposure. Please see my other posts for further info or PM me if you prefer.

My Consultant and others agree too. I have been researching wood dust and silica causing autoimmune diseases since 2006. Both my husband and I both have WG (GPA) (no we didn't meet via a support group) and he's a wood machinist who's worked with natural wood but mostly wood composite boards such as MDF, chipboard/particleboard, etc. For 5 years he was exposed to a wood cement board that had high content of asbestos and silica. As you will know it's not compulsory to wear PPE in the wood trades. Both natural wood and wood dust rom wood composite boards contain a high silica content. The wood industry has a problem with crystalline silica proving from their own research that premature blunting of industrial strength diamond and tungsten carbide metal saw blades, is caused by the finding of a high silica content in the wood or wood composite board as the cause. If it causes this level of damage to metal blades then what harm is it doing to the lungs of those inhaling it daily, together with an assortment of other carcinogens and toxins, PAH's and possibly dioxins? There are many people out there who are not aware that their current or previous environmental or occupational exposures could be causing their illness, as often they don't go far back enough in their work history or indeed that of a partner, wife, husband, father. When they look more closely the common denominator very often is always dust that is highly likely to contain silica. Any worker exposed to anything harmful takes it home on work clothes, hair and skin to expose loved ones. With any dust the finer the dust, the smaller the size of dust particles the more harmful it is. The dust you can't see is the most harmful. With crystalline silica freshly fractured silica, such as when sawing or sanding, etc., is more harmful, more toxic so fast acting than aged silica. Such a lot to share. If it was a virus or infection more people would suffer from it, it would not be a rare disease and more would have it in the same family. It's actually extremely rare in families. For example, we are said to be the only known confirmed husband and wife to have WG in the world! The Doctors said the odds are 100 million to one ! So not by chance then. Hence why they said It must be caused by an exposure, hence my years of research.

vargus57 profile image
vargus57

hi i worked on a farm when i left school in 1972 i used to wrk milling grain in a dusty shed, i did were a mask most of the time but the dust cud b very bad. it was a dairy farm so i wud work with dusty hay and straw as well, i worked on farm for 15yrs, ive had wg for 21yrs.

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to vargus57

Hi, Have you read the British research publication based on a cluster of 7 farmworkers in Norfolk where the lead authors decided it was the exposure to crystalline silica in the dust from the grain that had caused the WG? There are many, many other peer reviewed publications that prove this. I actually spoke to one of them at the first UK Vasculitis symposium held in Cambridge in 2007 and just to be sure asked Dr Richard Watt what had caused the WG in this cluster of farm workers and he confirmed it was the crystalline silica in the grain dust. Crystalline silica can be found in other dust too, such as wood dust, coal dust, etc.

May I ask who your Consultant is? My Consultant and others agree too. I have been researching wood dust and silica causing autoimmune diseases since 2006. Both my husband and I both have WG (GPA) (no we didn't meet via a support group) and he's a wood machinist who's worked with natural wood but mostly wood composite boards such as MDF, chipboard/particleboard, etc. For 5 years he was exposed to a wood cement board that had high content of asbestos and silica. As you will know it's not compulsory to wear PPE in the wood trades. Both natural wood and wood dust rom wood composite boards contain a high silica content. The wood industry has a problem with crystalline silica proving from their own research that premature blunting of industrial strength diamond and tungsten carbide metal saw blades, is caused by the finding of a high silica content in the wood or wood composite board as the cause. If it causes this level of damage to metal blades then what harm is it doing to the lungs of those inhaling it daily, together with an assortment of other carcinogens and toxins, PAH's and possibly dioxins? There are many people out there who are not aware that their current or previous environmental or occupational exposures could be causing their illness, as often they don't go far back enough in their work history or indeed that of a partner, wife, husband, father. When they look more closely the common denominator very often is always dust that is highly likely to contain silica. Any worker exposed to anything harmful takes it home on work clothes, hair and skin to expose loved ones. With any dust the finer the dust, the smaller the size of dust particles the more harmful it is. The dust you can't see is the most harmful. With crystalline silica freshly fractured silica, such as when sawing or sanding, etc., is more harmful, more toxic so fast acting than aged silica. Such a lot to share. If it was a virus or infection more people would suffer from it, it would not be a rare disease.

vargus57 profile image
vargus57 in reply to wooddustaffected

my consultant is dr morphy.

MAC12 profile image
MAC12

Hi there. I worked in the building trade throughout my twenties, often inhaling dust - especially when cutting stone or masonry with an angle grinder (a mask can only offer limited protection). I also used vermiculite to insulate lofts and walls and this contains silica. In my late 50s I developed GPA which affected my lungs at first although it rapidly affected my kidneys also. Now in remission, but reading some of the research in this area it is hard not to think there isn't some connection between the dust and the illness.

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to MAC12

Hi, Yes sad to say but you will have been exposed to copious amounts of crystalline silica and freshly fractured silica, such as when cutting or trending Stone or sawing or sanding wood for example, is proven to be more harmful, more toxic than aged silica. Masks do not provide protection as most people think, especially not from the most harmful dust particles which are the smaller ones that you can't see with the naked eye, those smaller than PM 2.5. All they do is filter out the larger particles but unfortunately it allows through those that are the most harmful. These smaller particles the lungs are not designed to expel, so can pass beyond the lung tissue, through the alveoli into the blood stream to affect any part of the body. Possibly why WG is systemic and why the most affected, those primarily affected are the upper and lower respiratory tracts and kidneys. Hence something we inhale via the nose and lungs that is then filtered via the kidneys. Silica.

May I ask who your Consultant is? My Consultant and others agree too. I have been researching wood dust and silica causing autoimmune diseases since 2006. Both my husband and I both have WG (GPA) (no we didn't meet via a support group) and he's a wood machinist who's worked with natural wood but mostly wood composite boards such as MDF, chipboard/particleboard, etc. For 5 years he was exposed to a wood cement board that had high content of asbestos and silica. As you will know it's not compulsory to wear PPE in the wood trades. Both natural wood and wood dust rom wood composite boards contain a high silica content. The wood industry has a problem with crystalline silica proving from their own research that premature blunting of industrial strength diamond and tungsten carbide metal saw blades, is caused by the finding of a high silica content in the wood or wood composite board as the cause. If it causes this level of damage to metal blades then what harm is it doing to the lungs of those inhaling it daily, together with an assortment of other carcinogens and toxins, PAH's and possibly dioxins? There are many people out there who are not aware that their current or previous environmental or 9occupational exposures could be causing their illness, as often they don't go far back enough in their work history or indeed that of a partner, wife, husband, father. When they look more closely the common denominator very often is always dust that is highly likely to contain silica. Any worker exposed to anything harmful takes it home on work clothes, hair and skin to expose loved ones. With any dust the finer the dust, the smaller the size of dust particles the more harmful it is. The dust you can't see is the most harmful. With crystalline silica freshly fractured silica, such as when sawing or sanding, etc., is more harmful, more toxic so fast acting than aged silica. Such a lot to share. If it was a virus or infection more people would suffer from it, it would not be a rare disease.

morgan33 profile image
morgan33

hello as you all can see people are replying about there own connection between dust exposure and wg this is not a medical survey just seeing how prominent the link is ,surely the more patients reply about there own personal stories the more the possibility there could be a connection .

Haggiss profile image
Haggiss

Hi,

I've worked in stone quarries as an apprentice, I currently work in a sheet metal factory. There is a section in the factory where they create a lot of dust, the dressing area. Abrasives are used to finish off the metals. I've worked here off 20 years. I've lived all my live in a pit village and then it became open cast. I was diagnosed with Wegners back in 2008, I was lucky I got an early diagnosis and only suffered approx 15% lung damage. However, I had a flare up last year that left me with a blood clot in the internal jugular vein. If you what to email me privately for more information you can.

Thanks

Big Hag

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to Haggiss

Please read my replies to the posts above. Private message me for more info if you wish.

Juliew123 profile image
Juliew123

I worked for McDonald's and we had a fire in one of the vats which triggered off the fire sufficant which was called ansal. It is or was a very fine blue powder

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to Juliew123

Hi, please read my other replies to posts in this thread as it may be useful to you. PM me If you wish to.

morgan33 profile image
morgan33

Hi julie what sort of illness did that leave you with and how has it affected you .

jules59 profile image
jules59

My husband was working with silica dust breathing it in with no protective gear at work 6 months before he was diagnosed with vasculitis. We are convinced this caused his illness but proving it is another matter.

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to jules59

Hi, There is actually a great deal of peer reviewed evidence/proof. May I ask who your Consultant is? My Consultant and others agree too. I have been researching wood dust and silica causing autoimmune diseases since 2006. Both my husband and I both have WG (GPA) (no we didn't meet via a support group) and he's a wood machinist who's worked with natural wood but mostly wood composite boards such as MDF, chipboard/particleboard, etc. For 5 years he was exposed to a wood cement board that had high content of asbestos and silica. As you will know it's not compulsory to wear PPE in the wood trades. Both natural wood and wood dust rom wood composite boards contain a high silica content. The wood industry has a problem with crystalline silica proving from their own research that premature blunting of industrial strength diamond and tungsten carbide metal saw blades, is caused by the finding of a high silica content in the wood or wood composite board as the cause. If it causes this level of damage to metal blades then what harm is it doing to the lungs of those inhaling it daily, together with an assortment of other carcinogens and toxins, PAH's and possibly dioxins? There are many people out there who are not aware that their current or previous environmental or 9occupational exposures could be causing their illness, as often they don't go far back enough in their work history or indeed that of a partner, wife, husband, father. When they look more closely the common denominator very often is always dust that is highly likely to contain silica. Any worker exposed to anything harmful takes it home on work clothes, hair and skin to expose loved ones. With any dust the finer the dust, the smaller the size of dust particles the more harmful it is. The dust you can't see is the most harmful. With crystalline silica freshly fractured silica, such as when sawing or sanding, etc., is more harmful, more toxic so fast acting than aged silica. Such a lot to share. If it was a virus or infection more people would suffer from it, it would not be a rare disease. PM me of you wish.

skipper35 profile image
skipper35 in reply to jules59

What created the silica dust?

Tippon profile image
Tippon

This has just been shared in the Vasculitis UK Facebook group:

medpagetoday.com/Rheumatolo...

Garyork profile image
Garyork

I worked as a stone mason been exposed to loads of dust and was diagnosed in 2000 with anca associated Vasculitis renal failure liver problems chest eyes ears heart lining;

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected in reply to Garyork

I have been researching wood dust and crystalline silica causing autoimmune diseases since 2006. Both my husband and I both have WG (GPA) (no we didn't meet via a support group) and he's a wood machinist who's worked with natural wood but mostly wood composite boards such as MDF, chipboard/particleboard, etc. For 5 years he was exposed to a wood cement board that had high content of asbestos and silica. As you will know it's not compulsory to wear PPE in the wood trades. Both natural wood and wood dust rom wood composite boards contain a high silica content. The wood industry has a problem with crystalline silica proving from their own research that premature blunting of industrial strength diamond and tungsten carbide metal saw blades, is caused by the finding of a high silica content in the wood or wood composite board as the cause. If it causes this level of damage to metal blades then what harm is it doing to the lungs of those inhaling it daily, together with an assortment of other carcinogens and toxins, PAH's and possibly dioxins? There are many people out there who are not aware that their current or previous environmental or occupational exposures could be causing their illness, as often they don't go far back enough in their work history or indeed that of a partner, wife, husband, father. When they look more closely the common denominator very often is always dust that is highly likely to contain silica. Any worker exposed to anything harmful takes it home on work clothes, hair and skin to expose loved ones. With any dust the finer the dust, the smaller the size of dust particles the more harmful it is. The dust you can't see is the most harmful. With crystalline silica freshly fractured silica, such as when sawing or sanding of wood or cutting or grinding of any kind of stone, etc., is more harmful, more toxic so fast acting than aged silica. Such a lot to share. If it was a virus or infection more people would suffer from it, it would not be a rare disease. See my posts above for further Info or PM if you preferr.

skipper35 profile image
skipper35 in reply to Garyork

What types of stone did you work with? Granite. Were you in contact with nepheline syenite?

Howget profile image
Howget

I found your post very interesting. I was diagnosed with W.G. in 1997 and I have always suspected that it was an infection I had a few months earlier was the trigger. However when I was a student in the late sixties I worked during my vacation for a cleaning company contracted to clean a factory in North Wales. The factory was owned by Turnell and Newell trading under the name Ferodo. Ferodo produced brake linings for the car industry. The brake linings were made of a type of silica. I remember returning home one day from cleaning the dust plant and being physically sick.

vargus57 profile image
vargus57

hi i worked on a farm for 15yrs when i was 15yrs i started i used to work with dusty grain milling it for hours, i used to were a mask most of the time, my eyes u used to get puffy and sore, i was 35 when i gt wg had it 23yrs now, but in good health most of the time with pred and aza. jerry,

wooddustaffected profile image
wooddustaffected

Turner and Newall were asbestos producers but would have had silica too. Brake linings/pads were known to have asbestos in them years ago. I don't mean to concern you but It would most likely to have been asbestos then. Make sure you let your Doctors/Consultants know, just so they're aware, to make sure you get the correct monitoring.

jayf profile image
jayf

I have a dog. If we don't hoover EVERY day thoroughly I often get a 3 day flare up.

Bunny87 profile image
Bunny87

I first had the (extensive) rash when I was living in a town called Leverkusen in Germany. It is the site of a huge Chemical factory Bayer. I have small to medium vessel vasculitis (unclassified as yet).

Leeboyp profile image
Leeboyp

Hi all,

When I was diagnosed with Wegeners GPA in 2003 I was working for a massive print company. They used solvent based inks and and the fumes from this were vented to the outside of the factory via big metal vents. My office was next to the factory and you had a constant smell of solvent which often gave you a headache. I cannot prove it but I'm totally sure that this is what caused my condition. 4 of us worked in the office and all 4 of us over the years have developed serious health conditions. I've tried to do some research on the internet and have read that there has been a link in America of people working in the dry cleaning industry (using solvents) and being diagnosed with GPA.

I also noticed that I felt worse in the summer months when we had our office windows open and the solvent smell was more concentrated.

Lee

Keithtim10 profile image
Keithtim10

Hi Guys i was diagnosed with Wegeners just over 12 months ago and now on rituximab this time having had cyclophs earlier this year but recently had relapse.For what its worth i am 66 years old and spent my working life working in a foundry which meant i came into contact with dust from many sources and of course worked with sand/silica.Any help.

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