Gabe Mirkin, M.D.
Large amounts of inhaled dust can damage your lungs
permanently. When a germ gets into your body, cells called
stimulatory macrophage rush to attack the germ. Your body
produces chemicals that cause blood vessels to widen and fluid
to leak into the area to cause swelling, pain and redness. Then
when the germs are conquered, suppressor macrophage stop
the reaction. Normal lungs contain ten times as many
suppressor macrophage as stimulatory ones. In people who have
inflammatory lung diseases such as asthma and chronic
bronchitis, the ratio is only three to one.
When people are
exposed to common house dust, suppressor cells die, in effect
removing the brakes on swelling and redness. Living or working
in a place that is full of house dust can cause lung damage in
healthy people. Those who have chronic lung disease such as
asthma or chronic bronchitis should try to keep their exposure to
house dust as low as possible.
November 20, 2005