Brown lung, or byssinosis, is an occupational disease that involves allergic reaction to dust or fungi on inhaled particles
of natural fibers. Textile mill workers who are exposed to cotton, flax, or soft hemp dust are susceptible to this respiratory system disorder. The disease is also known as Monday fever, because the
symptoms are most evident early in the work week.
Tissue reaction to small particles of dust in the lungs causes the accumulation of thick mucus, with a resulting
constriction of air passages. The constriction may destroy air sacs, or alveoli, in the lungs, leading to breathing difficulty. Symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, dizziness, and headaches, and lung tissue takes on the discoloration that gives the disorder its name. If environmental conditions are corrected the symptoms may subside, but continued exposure to fiber dust can cause permanent damage to the lungs and bring on life-threatening chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or cor pulmonale. Prevention of brown lung includes adequate ventilation of textile mills.