If you have asthma, your doctor has probably recommended that you avoid the allergens and triggers that may lead to an episode. But what if you’re allergic to — work?

Occupational asthma is a tightening of the airways caused by the dusts, vapors, gases, or fumes that exist in the workplace. Even very low levels of exposure to workplace allergens may provoke an asthma episode in highly sensitive people. Although occupational asthma commonly affects workers with a family history of asthma, it can also occur in people who have no known asthma or allergies. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health estimate that between 15% and 20% of people who develop asthma in adulthood can attribute their condition to workplace allergens.

Do I have occupational asthma?

Since people with asthma have a variety of triggers in different situations, occupational asthma can be hard to pinpoint. See whether any of the following statements describe you:

• My symptoms typically include nasal congestion, wheezing, coughing, shortness of breath, runny nose, watery eyes, and tightness in the chest.
• My symptoms are the most severe when I’m at work, and they gradually decrease after I’ve gone home for the day.
• When I return to work after weekends and vacations, my symptoms return immediately.
• I have grown increasingly sensitive to irritants such as cigarette smoke and house dust.
• I have a family history of allergies or asthma.

If any of these statements apply to you, you may have occupational asthma. It’s important to see a doctor for diagnosis and, if necessary, treatment. The condition is reversible, but if you are exposed to a particular allergen over a long period of time, permanent lung damage is a possibility.

Diagnosis

The first step in diagnosing occupational asthma is to recognize the pattern of your symptoms. Keep a log of your symptoms, when they occurred, and what task you were performing at the time of each episode. To make a diagnosis, your doctor will ask you for a detailed account of your work history and day-to-day work conditions. In some cases, your doctor may give you a challenge test. In this test, you actually inhale the potential allergen in order to pinpoint your triggers.

Treatment

The best way to treat occupational asthma — and asthma in general — is to avoid your triggers. But most employees cannot afford to simply walk off the job. If possible, seek a transfer to another department. Or talk to your employer about altering your work responsibilities to avoid contact with known allergens. If job modification or a transfer within the company is not feasible, however, a HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air) filter can help reduce allergens and irritants in the air near your workspace. Your doctor can prescribe asthma medication to treat your asthma symptoms.

Quitting smoking and avoiding secondhand smoke can also help reduce symptoms of occupational asthma. Besides increasing your chances of developing lung disease, breathing cigarette smoke can make your asthma symptoms more severe. According to the American Lung Association, workers with occupational asthma who change jobs and quit smoking have a better chance of full recovery than workers who succeed in changing jobs but continue to smoke.

Millions of workers are routinely exposed to substances in the air that may cause occupational asthma. If you’re one of these people, take the time to keep a log of your symptoms. This is the key to recognizing your on-the-job triggers and, ultimately, to improving your overall health.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 16th, 2007 at 9:28 am and is filed under Environment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.