9/11 Survivors Experience Debilitating Breathing Issues

This Saturday marks 20 years since the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in Manhattan on September 11, 2001. It’s hard to believe it’s been 2 decades since the collapse of the Twin Towers and the sudden and intense tightening of the nation’s airport security procedures.

The thick layer of dust and debris that covers the area surrounding where the Twin Towers once stood can clearly be seen in photos. However, people at the time did not know the health risks, as only a few first responders initially wore protective masks.

These tragic attacks claimed nearly 3,000 lives, but those who survived are now experiencing chronic and painful health complications that doctors attribute to being nearby when both skyscrapers collapsed. Survivors and first responders have reported respiratory illness due to their exposure to what many scientists refer to as “World Trade Center Dust.”

Being nearby when a building collapses will send dust, fumes, and toxic chemicals into the airways, and it wasn’t until 2004 that doctors like our ENT doctor in Los Angeles began to connect being present at Ground Zero with ongoing respiratory complications.

Those who found themselves in the cloud of dust that surrounded the collapsed building report multiple health problems, including chronic diseases that they will battle for the rest of their lives.  9/11 survivors report acute rhinitis, chronic sinusitis, chronic sore throat, and cough.

In all, experts estimate that being present at the World Trade Center attacks, takes an average of 12 years off a person’s life.

Not only were the 9/11 attacks tragic in and of themselves, but the chronic health problems that plague those who once called themselves lucky make the historical event even darker.

Those who visit a chronic cough doctor in Los Angeles or another large city will find multiple treatment options. The repercussions of the 9/11 attacks on respiratory health have only made headlines recently. Those who are experiencing trouble breathing and chronic coughing should get tested for COVID, then visit an ENT doctor immediately should their COVID test come up negative.