Thresher's lung, also known as "grain dust lung" is a respiratory disease caused by exposure to respirable plant dust, particularly from threshing machines. This condition is mostly experienced by farmers, agricultural laborers and factory workers who are involved in the processing of crops. In medical terms, thresher's lung is categorized as pneumoconiosis, a pulmonary disease that causes lung tissue scarring due to prolonged inhalation of dust. Alternative terms for thresher's lung include "harvester's lung," "farmer's lung," and "combine harvester disease". Other related conditions include silicosis, asbestosis and coal workers' pneumoconiosis (black lung disease), which share similar causes and symptoms as thresher's lung. Preventive measures such as wearing protective gear and proper ventilation can minimize the risk of developing thresher's lung.
