Lungrot
Lungrot is a common disease affecting the common classes of Settlers
Causes
The disease is caused by a long time exposer to the atmosphere of Flātellus. The air is suprisingly suitable for human breathing: once a settler gets over the initial feeling of asphyxiation, it can take decades for the symptoms of lung rot to develop.
Several harmful substances have been detected in the atmosphere, ranging from chemicals to dust particles and irritating substances produced by the alien life. Lungrot is caused by the combination of these effects.
Symptoms
By the time they are middle aged, many settlers show symptoms resembeling asthma. They experience hardness of breathing, become out of breath when exercising, and have dry cough. Once the disease progresses, they become more dangerously affected by pulmonary diseases, so that even the common cold can be lethal to them. Advanced cases can force the patient to bedridden and too weak to care for themselves.
Treatment
Lung rot can effectively be prevented by the use of bottled air. Once the symptoms have developed, purified air eases the breathing, but won't repair the damage.
History
The first generations of Settlers were carefully living on bottled air. The intial studies had suggested the possible harmful impacts of the air, but spending time without the clumsy equipment, became more fashionable over time, giving arise to the disease. The diagnosis of the disease was delayed by the fact that the common classes had generally bad living conditions.
Cultural Reception
Currently only the rich and travellers refrain from breathing the local air, and thus the condition has been accepted as a part of the unavoidable symptoms of old age.
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