Q: I visited the smelting section of a steel industry, where steel is melted. I did not use a breathing guard. I was exposed to the dusty silicon environment. Exactly 2 hours after that, I developed cold along with nasal & chest congestion. After 4 weeks, the cold has come down, but running nose, chest & nasal congestion has not come down. I was treated with Taxim & Sudin sera for 8 days. Please advise.

A:A single exposure to silicon dust has no long term effect. The irritation may cause temporary reactive airways in the lung, which can lead to acute bronchitis. This usually clears up completely, but a cough may persist for several months. The initial lung irritation may unmask asthma, which had been quiescent, and the asthmatic condition may persist and need continued treatment for a long time.