Black lung意思

"Black lung" is a term used to describe a lung disease that affects coal miners and others who work in coal mines or around coal dust. The medical term for this disease is "coal workers' pneumoconiosis." It is caused by inhaling coal dust over a long period of time, which leads to the accumulation of the dust in the lungs and can eventually lead to scarring and breathing difficulties. There are two forms of coal workers' pneumoconiosis: simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis and complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis (also known as progressive massive fibrosis). Simple coal workers' pneumoconiosis is characterized by the formation of small rounded lesions in the lungs, while complicated coal workers' pneumoconiosis is more severe and can lead to massive scarring and respiratory failure.