Many suffers may be unaware of the fact they have the onsets of Silicosis as they may be asymptomatic meaning they show no symptoms. The majority however may display the classic signs and symptoms:
It is also possible to get a raft of other diseases ranging from lung cancer, TB, chronic bronchitis, kidney disease to autoimmune diseases because of exposure to RCS dust, not just Silicosis. The exposure and damage can continue long after exposure and It can continue to progress even after exposure has stopped.
It can progress after a few weeks of heavy exposure or over a longer period in lower concentrations to respirable crystalline silica dust which is commonly found in many workplaces across the world.
Silicosis resulted in over 46,000 deaths globally in 2013 down from 55,000 deaths in 1990 however this is likely to be a gross underestimation based on the widespread misdiagnosis as pulmonary oedema (fluid in the lungs), pneumonia, or tuberculosis.