We can only treat the symptoms of Black Lung Disease because there is no cure. Inhaled steroids, for example, can help patients breathe more freely. More severe instances may necessitate the use of oxygen as well as lung transplants. Stopping smoking, which also kills lung tissue, is one measure patients may take. Black lung disease is a type of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Like other forms of COPD, it results from repeated episodes of airway obstruction that produce increased levels of dust in the lungs. Over time, this dust impairs the ability of the lungs to clear out waste gas and fluid. It can lead to emphysema or bronchitis. There are two types of black lung disease: progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) and coal worker's pneumoconiosis (CWP). They are both types of coal workers' pneumoconiosis. With PMF, large areas of lung tissue are destroyed, leaving only scarring. This type of disease is often found in older men who have been exposed to high levels of coal dust for many years. With CWP, small lesions develop on the surfaces of the lungs where coal has been breathed in. These lesions usually heal over time but sometimes they don't. The person is at risk for developing emphysema if they continue to work in conditions harmful to their lungs. The cause of black lung disease is exposure to airborne particles containing coal dust.