The influence of smoking on the formation of occupational lung diseases in workers who come into contact with industrial aerosols

Abstract

The formation of a healthy lifestyle is one of the most important tasks of disease prevention. Among the factors that negatively affect the health of the population, smoking is of great importance. The influence of smoking on the formation of occupational diseases in workers in harmful and (or) dangerous working conditions has not been sufficiently studied. Based on the knowledge of the pathogenesis of common diseases, it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that smoking can provoke the development of occupational pathology of the respiratory organs, malignant neoplasms, vascular pathology.The aim of the work was to study the clinical manifestations of chronic bronchitis, characterizing the state of the bronchopulmonary system, in smokers and non-smokers who had long-term contact with industrial dust, as well as to analyze the literature data on the impact of smoking on the development of occupational lung diseases in workers exposed to asbestos dust.Materials and methods of research. In the clinic “Research Institute of Occupational Medicine named after Academician N.F. Izmerov”, 55 workers were examined under the influence of industrial aerosols of fibrogenic action. The group of smokers consisted of 45 people: 25 people were coal miners, 20 people were foundry workers. The group of non-smokers consisted of 10 people: 6 coal miners and 4 foundry workers. The severity of the course of professional and non-professional chronic bronchitis in patients was assessed taking into account the clinical manifestations and frequency of exacerbations of the disease, as well as taking into account the severity of respiratory disorders and gas exchange disorders.Results and discussion. In the group of smoking patients, 93,3% had occupational chronic bronchitis, 6.7% had no such pathology. In the group of non-smoking patients with and without occupational chronic bronchitis, there were equally – 50,0%. In the group of smoking patients, 55,5 of the examined patients had respiratory insufficiency of the II degree; 15,5% were diagnosed with respiratory insufficiency of the III degree; cases without respiratory function impairment (DN0 art.) were only 8,8%. In the group of non-smoking patients, grade II DN was more than three times less frequent, amounting to 20,0%, while 40,0% had grade 0 DN and 40,0% had grade I DN; grade III DN was never diagnosed in this group of patients.Conclusion. Smoking, as an independent factor, can play a significant, and in some cases, obviously, a determining role in the development and progression of chronic bronchitis in people exposed to industrial aerosols.The health risks associated with tobacco should be taken into account as an integral part of the assessment of the risks of developing occupational diseases.