Occupational Asthma Overview
Asthma is a chronic (long-term, ongoing) inflammation of the breathing passages (bronchi) of the lungs. The inflammation irritates the airway, causing breathing problems.
· Most people with asthma have sudden attacks or periods of bothersome or severe symptoms separated by periods of mild symptoms or no symptoms at all.
· Asthma is an inflammatory reaction that is triggered by external factors or specific situations.
· When a person with asthma is exposed to one of his or her triggers, the inflammation worsens and symptoms ensue.
"Occupational asthma is a disease characterised by variable air flow limitation and/or airway hyper-responsiveness due to causes and conditions attributable to a particular occupational environment and not to stimuli encountered outside the workplace" (Bernstein et al 1993). Within this definition two types of occupational asthma can be distinguished:
In the first instance, there is agreement, that the syndrome of chest tightness, wheezing, shortness of breath, dry cough etc, which appears after a latent period of occupational exposure constitutes occupational asthma.
Causes
More than 250 workplace substances have been identified as causes of occupational asthma. These substances typically fall into one of six categories:
· Animal substances. These include proteins found in dander, hair, scales, fur, saliva and body wastes.
· Chemicals. These include anhydrides, diisocyanates and acids used to make paints, varnishes, adhesives, laminates and soldering resin. Other examples include chemicals used to make insulation, packaging materials, and foam mattresses and upholstery.
· Enzymes. These are used in detergents, flour conditioners, some pharmaceuticals and meat tenderizers.
WHAT ARE ITS SYMPTOMS?
The symptoms of occupational asthma include:
· Wheezing
· A tight feeling in the chest
· Coughing
· Shortness of breath
Sometimes the worker will only have a cough or any one of the other symptoms. Symptoms usually occur while the worker is exposed to a particular substance at work.
In some cases, symptoms may develop several hours after the person leaves work, and then subside before the worker returns to the job the next day.
Treating Occupational Asthma
Therapy for occupational asthma stresses avoiding whatever causes the asthma. This often means quitting the job or making changes in the workplace to avoid the cause. This is particularly difficult with occupational asthma, since having to leave your job or avoid certain types of work can greatly influence the quality of your life. In addition, trying to change the workplace to avoid causes of asthma often can be difficult and expensive.
You and your allergist must deal with possible occupational asthma in a relational manner, because it is often difficult to separate what is due to work from what is caused away from work. Asthma specialists, such as allergists, occupational medicine specialists, and lung specialists, may be best at helping you deal with potential occupational asthma.
Avoiding occupational asthma
Where there is a risk of occupational asthma caused by work, employers must act to protect their employees by taking steps such as:
· Sealing off any equipment producing hazardous substances
· Fitting extractor fans
· Providing a mask and/or protective clothing.
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