Ash Lung

Ash Lung is a common illness that afflicts human survivors of Ashrain, as well as many of its remaining terrestrial animals that possess conventional lungs. It arises when an individual has inhaled too much of the ash and particulate matter that falls from the skies of the planet both day and night. By default, virtually every living terrestrial organism of Ashrain has some degree of ash lung, given the omnipresence of the raining particulate. In minor cases, the ailment results only in a chronic cough and difficulty drawing breath. The use of technology such as Ash Breathers can help to mitigate further damage to the lung tissue and stop the condition from becoming severe. However, if the condition is not managed properly, it can develop severe symptoms that worsen over time, and may culminate in permenant organ damage, dangerous lung blockages, and organ ruptures, all of which can be fatal. Ash lung is single-handedly responsible for reducing the average human life expectancy on Ashrain to around twenty to thirty years with ash breather technology, and as little as ten years without it. As of the current calendar year (approximately 14 AE) and since the mass extinction of the Great Cataclysm, ash lung has killed more human survivors and land-bound terrestrial organisms than every other hazardous environmental effect combined, including, but not limited to: volcanic activity, fires, avalanches, ash storms, electrocution during electrical storms, starvation, and murder. The human death toll from ash lung is third only to the virulent pandemic known as the Searing Plague, which claimed the lives of over two-thirds of remaining human survivors since the Cataclysm, and dehydration, which has remained the chief cause of human death since X-Day.

Causes

Ash lung is a physiological degenerative condition acquired due to the inhalation of too much ash and particulate matter. Since the ashfall from the global ash cloud is near constant across Ashrain, and ongoing volcanic activity spews particulate matter into the atmosphere across the globe, this condition is inevitable and inescapable for any organism with a standard respiratory system. Merely breathing on a day to day basis results in the accumulation of particles within the lungs, and prolonged exposure to the atmosphere of Ashrain can result in chronic conditions.

Symptoms

Ash lung in its minor stage afflicts virtually every single living organism on Ashrain that draws breath. As a First Degree ailment, it causes only a chronic cough and difficulty breathing as the condition varies by severity. Without ash breather technology, the surest way to avoid the progression of the condition is to take shelter from the ashfall and to spend as little time outdoors as possible. However, given the scarce availability of standing human structures, this is virtually impossible for anyone who is not a member of an organized survivor settlement such as the Homestead. Traveling survivor groups such as the Yellowstone Nomads fight ash lung with breather technology and with covered wagons that protect passengers from the majority of the particulates in the air.
If ash lung is allowed to progress to a Second Degree ailment, the effects of the condition become much more severe. Individuals with Second Degree ash lung may find difficulty breathing at all times, not merely during strenuous activity. Other symptoms include a raw feeling in the throat and lungs, a burning sensation in the chest, chronic fatigue, and coughing up blood. At this stage, treatment is vital to prevent the condition from progressing further to the Third Degree.
Once ash lung enters the Third Degree of severity, the life of the afflicted individual is virtually forfeit. During this stage, permenant damage to the body occurs, including lung rupture, lung failure, clogged breathing tubes and clogged throat, internal bleeding, and total organ failure. Many individuals simply suffocate before their body fails entirely, the ash choking their respiratory system preventing any oxygen from making it through to the body.

Treatment

There is no real remedy for ash lung if it is allowed to progress to the Second and Third Degree of severity. Prevention and mitigation of symptoms is vital to stave off fatality. During the First Degree, if ash lung symptoms begin to worsen, the only real course of treatment is to isolate the individual within a quarantined zone free from the ashfall and from particualte matter. If no such environment can be found, employing an ash breather to clear out the lungs is crucial. If this also cannot be achieved, the condition will inevitably progress to the Second Degree.

Prevention

Prevention and mitigation of ash lung is vital to survival. If the condition is not treated regularly and with rigor, it will inevitably progress to the Third Degree and to fatality. Some form of ash breather technology is essential, even if it is as simple as breathing through a cloth to reduce the inhalation of particulates while sustaining the intake of oxygen. Remaining indoors or within shelter is also a feasible preventative measure, if such shelter is available.

Type

Physiological

Origin

Natural

Cycle

Chronic, Acquired

Rarity

Common