Occupational asthma is asthma induced by exposure in the working environment to airborne dusts, vapours or fumes, in workers with or without pre-existing asthma.
Occupational asthma is subdivided into two groups:
Sensitiser-induced occupational asthma
Irritant-induced occupational asthma
Occurs typically within a few hours of a high concentration exposure to an irritant gas, fume or vapour at work.
Who is at risk of developing occupational asthma?
The most commonly reported professions to suffer from occupational asthma are:
Animal Handlers | Nurses | Bakers and Pastry Makers |
Chemical Workers | Timber Workers | Food Processing Workers |
Paint Sprayers | Welders | Mining |
What can you do to protect your employees?
Early diagnosis:
Consider the possibility of an occupational asthma diagnosis in all new cases of adult asthma.
Ask each new adult presenting with asthma symptoms or rhinitis about their job and the substances with which they work; referral to a physician with expertise in occupational asthma may be appropriate if they fall into one of the high risk professions listed.
Ask the following questions:
• When did the symptoms start?
• Do their symptoms vary when not at work?
• Do their symptoms improve when away from work?
Lung function tests
A series of specialized tests that can be performed by a specialized professional with calibrated equipment at your work location or at an external location
Skin prick tests or Blood tests
for specific markers to help to identify sensitization, and together with other symptom related evidence will help identify the causative agent.
Prognosis:
Prognosis will improve for many provided they are withdrawn from exposure to the substance provoking their asthma at an early stage.
Those workers who remain in the workplace which has induced their asthma are unlikely to improve and symptoms may worsen. Therefore specialist input is essential as early as possible.
Those who have relatively normal lung function at time of diagnosis and shorter duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis will have the greatest improvement.
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