Lung Stones
Rampant pollution in large cities has caused a number of new medical conditions that afflict the citizens, especially in poorer districts. Around refineries, one unfortunately common illness is the development of lung stones. The blanket of smog in industrial cities can be so full of pollution that at times, a new wave of aerosolized chemical can precipitate the pollutants from the fog as a vile black and yellow sludge. Most of the time, those pollutants remain suspended in the omnipresent smog, breathed in by the citizens who do not have filters. But when breathed in day by day, the accumulated carbon can stick, condensing into pellets that can be difficult to dislodge.
This condition is common in humans and other urban mammals. It can also afflict birds, but the delicate nature of their lungs usually causes avian animals to die from the pollutants well before lung stones can develop.
Transmission & Vectors
The pollutants that cause lung stones are all airborne, binding to the water present in smog. This condition is not transmissable, but it is poorly understood and rarely affects members of high society, and thus rarely studied. Many people incorrectly believe that it is transmitted by coughing.
Causes
Stone formation is mainly due to the coal dust. Other pollutants bind to the carbon and enhance its stickiness to surfaces, but the majority of a lung stone is pelleted carbon.
Symptoms
First, a constant cough will appear. Coughs are wet and ragged as the lungs over-produce mucus to clear the stones. Phlegm will be coughed up almost constantly in the early stages. As stones form, they drop to the bottom of the lungs, causing lingering aches with each breath and sharp pains with sudden movements or sharp intakes of breath. These symptoms magnify as more stones form, alongside reducing the maximum capacity of each breath in. In some cases, the production of excess mucus can cause severe dehydration as the body tries to save the lungs.
Treatment
An afflicted subject needs access to clean air for treatment. Even air in other parts of the city that is less polluted can be enough to give the patient a chance at survival.
Having clean drinking water can also help delay worsening of stone formation. If the body has proper hydration, phlegm can be expelled more easily, carrying smaller stones with it.
Prognosis
Without treatment, lung stones always lead to death.
Prevention
With proper filtration of air, or even simply regular access to clean air, this condition can be entirely prevented. The sheer amount of constant pollution is the cause, and giving a body some clean air can break down stones or prevent their formation. Alas, this is not possible for many who suffer from lung stones.
Type
Chemical Compound
Cycle
Chronic, Acquired
Rarity
Common
Comments