debilitating illness in scifi

[tomhvrdy]

I've been developing an original sci-fi universe. It's essentially a series of colonies built on the ocean floor (a la Bioshock) where the majority of the population is essentially used for manual labor and thought of as lesser by those living on the surface. They aren't treated particularly well and suffice to say that their healthcare is pretty

Comments

[nagi_schwarz]

I'm no medical expert, but in the scenario you described, you mentioned exposure to chemicals. Have you tried looking at something akin to mustard gas or other noxious chemicals that would damage the lungs? I know firefighters who suffer smoke inhalation damage over the years can have longterm lung problems. Could be she naturally has asthma and something in her working conditions exacerbates it? If she's working with heavy machinery, maybe also an industrial accident, like a chest-crushing incident in the past?

[alessandriana]

Exactly what I was coming in here to suggest. Long-term exposure to industrial chemicals can definitely result in lung damage.

[cattraine]

There is going to be a lot of mold and fungal infections because of chronic dampness. So, foot rot and skin diseases are common.

[redheadforever]

Easy. Reactive Airway Dysfunction Syndrome, RADS Asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Chronic Bronchitis -- sound good for your character?

Easily obtained, too. Industrial accident, chemical leak, fires involving burning chemicals, fuel and/or electrical wiring. Lots of choices or combine 'em for bad measure.

Some real-life mass disasters (much more available on them than smaller ones) to read up on: Bhopal, Flixborough, Seveso and 9/11. You could also go with cumulative contamination: Love Canal, Flint for two.

Finally, do consider that a regular, non-chemical fire packs plenty of lung-destroying power, as any emergency-room worker or firefighter can tell you.

[corvideye]

Industrial glues, volatile solvents, fuel, and cleaning compounds used on large machinery can be extremely toxic and cause longterm problems, especially if proper safety equipment and procedures aren't used (not good ventilation, no respirators, chemicals directly on skin, etc). I have a friend who had severe memory loss, nerve impairment, and other health problems from chemical exposure in a factory that wasn't ventilated right. In my local railroad yard, noxious cleaning chemicals were dumped over locomotives and cars and allowed to drain into the ground for decades before regulation; it's now a completely toxic area. For some sample effects, search 'aromatic hydrocarbon exposure'. It can take years to recover from this sort of thing, if at all.

[tomhvrdy]

Thanks so much to all of you! You've given me a lot of great ideas and things to research, as well as pointing out a lot of things that I feel a bit ridiculous for not having already thought of on my own lol. I really appreciate it.