Occupational Asthma: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment

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Occupational Asthma
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Occupational Asthma

• Occupational asthma also known as work related
  asthma is a chronic lung disorder. Occupational
  asthma occurs when there is a reversible
  inflammation of the airways. This type of asthma
  is generally caused by exposure to substances at
  workplace. A patient of occupational asthma may
  develop an allergic reaction, irritant reaction,
  or reaction to certain substances at work place,
  which can result in an asthma attack.
  Occupational asthma can appear in any work
  environment be, it a store, office, or hospital.
  There are two main types of occupational asthma.
  Irritant induced asthma directly triggers the
  airways and causes inflammation of the airways.
  Immune mediated asthma is caused by the external
  stimulus, which initially triggers the bodys
  immune system causing asthma.

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Causes of Occupational Asthma

• There are two elements of occupational asthma-
  one in which there are recurrent attacks and
  another in which there is chronic inflammation.
  Occupational asthma can be a genetic disorder a
  patient may have a family history of asthma. The
  most common cause of asthma is the exposure to a
  trigger. The trigger may be an allergic reaction.
  When a person encounters a trigger, the problem
  appears. For example A patient is allergic to
  smoke, when somebody sitting next to him smokes
  it triggers symptoms of occupational asthma.

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Symptoms

• The symptoms of occupational asthma may appear
  when a patient reaches his workplace and symptoms
  disappear after a patient leaves the workplace.
  The symptoms may come and go frequently. However,
  many of the patients do not have any symptom.
  Common symptoms of occupational asthma 
• Chest pain
• Fatigue
• Coughing
• Conjunctivitis
• Rhinorreha (runny nose)
• Difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• Chest tightness

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Diagnosis of Occupational Asthma

• A doctor will start a diagnosis by asking a
  patient about their symptoms, medical history and
  may conduct a physical exam. After that, a doctor
  will order a diagnostic test to know the exact
  cause and the severity of the problem. The
  diagnostic test will include 
• A chest x-ray
• Peak flow meter test to detect the patterns
  related to airway process
• Spirometry test to measure the level of impaired
  breathing
• Blood test to check for an infection that might
  be causing occupational asthma

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Treatments

• The most effective treatment of occupational
  asthma is to avoid the trigger this may include
  changing the workplace where there is less
  exposure to the triggers. The main aim of
  the treatment of occupational asthma is to
  prevent asthma attacks, to maintain normal lung
  function, to maintain healthy breathing cycle.
  Asthma in its initial stages can be easily
  treated by taking a few preventive measures. Some
  preventive measures are 
• Wear a mask while at the workplace.
• Quit smoking and avoid sitting next to a person
  who smokes.

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Treatments
Continue

• Take medicine as directed by your doctor.
• Adopting a healthy lifestyle, eating healthy
  and regularly exercising.

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