What to Look for:
There may be clues that should prompt further investigation. The symptoms of cough, eye irritation, and nasal congestion may occur at work before the wheezing or shortness of breath develops. These symptoms often occur only at work and not in any other environment.
The longer a worker is exposed, however, the greater the likelihood of persistent symptoms outside the workplace. “Monday morning asthma” is a term that describes the sudden onset of symptoms when workers return to work. Symptoms may decline somewhat during the week with a great improvement on weekends or during vacations or other absences. Although many reactions are immediate, it is important to recall the late phase of bronchial asthma and how
reactions may be delayed and occur hours after leaving the workplace.
Can Occupational Asthma Become Chronic?
Studies have demonstrated that the longer the patient is exposed to the offending agent the more likely the asthma will become chronic. Without information on an individual’s occupation (obtained during recording of the patient’s medical history) it is easy to see how occupational asthma might be overlooked. Even after a worker leaves a job that has produced occupational asthma, the symptoms may continue for years.
How You Can Help Make the Diagnosis
Patients may be asked by their physicians to aid in the diagnosis of occupational asthma. Valuable information can be obtained by using a peak flow meter. Readings of airflows at home and at work may document precipitous drops in the workplace or hours after exposure. This type of “challenge test”is preferred to a laboratory study in which a physician attempts to duplicate workplace conditions.
Obtaining information on other workers who may have developed similar symptoms is also extremely valuable. The physician may have to contact plant officials or local health authorities to obtain this information. It would be most unusual for occupational asthma to be an isolated occurrence. Screening coworkers may help detect other individuals with early manifestations of occupational asthma.
Treating Occupational Asthma
The best treatment for occupational asthma is ending the patient’s exposure to the offending agent. This is particularly important because patients can develop chronic asthma, which is not completely reversible. Asthmatic workers may have to change their occupations.
Options other than leaving a job are shifting to activities in the same industry that do not involve exposure to the offending agent, as well as protective clothing or filtration masks. Individuals who are trained in a field and who have developed a unique sensitivity may want to consider immunotherapy. This may be especially helpful for those such as veterinarians who have become sensitized to animal proteins.
A Growing Problem
The occupational asthma problem is likely to get worse as new offending materials are identified in many industries. This affliction may occur in almost any occupation, always manifested by development of bronchial asthma. The worker often makes the association himself or herself between an offending agent and illness. Once an irritating substance is identified, additional occupational asthma cases are usually discovered.
Remember that occupational asthma is a disease that begins in the workplace, so it must be distinguished from preexisting asthma that worsens from work conditions, which might better be called “aggravated asthma.” Outside of work , many asthmatics experience attacks with physical exertion.
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Tags: absences, Asthma, bronchial asthma, challenge test, eye irritation, health authorities, laboratory study, local health, medical history, monday morning, nasal congestion, occu, occupational asthma, peak flow meter, peak flow meter readings, persistent symptoms, plant officials, shortness of breath, sudden onset, workplace conditions
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