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.
The main therapy for this disease is continuous oxygen therapy, and the average survival with this therapy is 31 months. Most complications seen with this syndrome are due to emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Due to its high silica content, miners affected by this coal develop symptoms and progression similar to Silicosis.