Although the prevalence and severity of disease varies with the mine, type of coal, and mining conditions, the diseases progress in the same basic manner - the inhaled carbon particles get stuck in the lung. Anthracosis is an asymptomatic disease, and most of the U.S. population at autopsy will have evidence of carbon exposure. However, anthracosis can progress to simple CWP in workers with increased coal dust exposure. Since patients are asymptomatic with both anthracosis and simple CWP, high risk patients should minimize exposure to coal dust to prevent further lung damage. PMF takes many years of high exposure to dust and is characterized by huge blackened scars in the lung.
Patients often progress to respiratory failure, which requires immediate treatment.
The signs and symptoms associated with coal worker's disease are usually benign, and associated with little lung damage. However, a minority of cases develop stiffening of the lung, leading to increasing lung dysfunction, high blood pressure in the lung and heart failure. Cigarette smoking does not actually increase the prevalence of the disease, but adds to the detrimental effect of ventilatory function. In most cases, the lung problems associated with Coal Miner's Lung resemble the progression of diseases caused by smoking. Treatment is supportive and involves removal from exposure to the coal dust.