Occupational Asthma at Work: Symptoms, Causes, How to Overcome it, and Prevent it
Asthma symptoms can recur at any time in an unexpected place, such as at work. In fact, there are indeed several types of professions and workplaces that are prone to trigger asthma recurrence. Asthma due to work can even be experienced by anyone, both those who have a history of asthma and those who are hale and hearty. This type of asthma is called occupational asthma. Citing the Asthma page, about one in ten cases of asthma in adults is associated with work-related asthma.
Knowing the causes and symptoms early on can help you avoid this disease later on.
What is occupational asthma?
Asthma is basically a respiratory disease that easily recurs when someone inhales smoke, dust, gas, or certain microscopic particles that are irritant. The irritant exposure then irritates the airways and causes them to become inflamed.
Well, occupational asthma is a type of asthma that tends to recur as a result of certain types of work or in the work environment, which requires someone to inhale smoke, gas, dust, or other dangerous substances.
However, someone is said to have this type of asthma when symptoms only appear at work and tend to improve when resting or go home.
What are the signs and symptoms of asthma due to work?
Symptoms of occupational asthma are the same as normal asthma symptoms. When exposed to triggering factors, a person with this condition will usually cause typical symptoms which include:
- Cough.
- Wheezing, whistling softly or sound "low-grade" when breathing.
- Chest pain, like a tight rope.
- Shortness of breath or gasping.
- It's hard to breathe.
Other symptoms can also include watery eyes and stuffy and runny nose. Do not hesitate to see a doctor immediately when you experience unusual symptoms.
Occupational asthma symptoms can appear for weeks, months, or even years. This is because it takes a long time for the body's immune system to become sensitive to allergens (allergens) at work.
Once your immune system is sensitive to certain substances, you will be more prone to experience asthma symptoms even if only briefly and slightly exposed.
However, the faster the asthma occupational diagnosis, the greater the chance of recovery. On the other hand, if asthma due to work is not treated quickly, then you are at high risk of experiencing permanent damage to the lungs. Therefore, do not underestimate this disease.
Who is at risk for work-related asthma?
Someone at high risk of occupational asthma if:
- Have a history of allergies. Allergy and asthma are related to one another. That is why, inhaled allergies such as dust, mites, molds, animal dander, and pollen from flowers or trees that fly in the air can also trigger this type of asthma.
- Have a rhintis history. Rhinitis is irritation and inflammation in the nose, causing the nose to feel itchy, runny, and blocked. In many cases, rhintis is an early warning that you may have asthma due to work.
- Active smoker. People who smoke are more prone to asthma due to work than those who don't smoke. If you already have asthma and smoke before, then it can make asthma symptoms worse.
- Work in a certain place. The main cause of occupational asthma is a work environment that has high levels of asthma allergens or irritants.
What types of workplaces are at risk of triggering asthma?
In principle, a person is more at risk of occupational asthma when his workplace has high allergens and irritants.
Workplaces with high allergen levels
- health benefits of gardening
- Animal shop, zoo, animal husbandry, and animal laboratory. Saliva, dandruff, or urine of animals that contain protein and stick to animal hair can trigger asthma. This animal fur can perch on animal cages, furniture, to the floor surface.
- Plantation and agriculture. Dust from seeds or chemical compounds in fertilizers is the most common cause of occupational asthma among agricultural and plantation workers. The insecticide used to eliminate pests is also a factor in asthma.
- Bakery and flour factory. Flour is one of the most common causes of asthma due to work. Very small flour particles, allowing entry into the airways and irritating the area. This condition is made worse if you do not use a mouth mask when working.
- Hospitals and other health care facilities. Health care workers can suffer from asthma by inhaling protein powder from latex gloves or from a powder drug mixture.
High-irritant workplaces
- The function of chlorine in swimming pool water and its danger to health
- Petroleum industry. Irritants in high doses that cause occupational asthma include hydrochloric acid, sulfur dioxide or ammonia. All of these substances are found in the petroleum or chemical industry.
- Wood and carpentry industry. Inhaled wood powder can irritate airways. Well, this is what can trigger this type of asthma.
- Metal and machinery industry. Metals such as platinum, chronium, nickel sulfate can cause asthma. Long-term exposure to coolants can also cause the same thing. Coolant is a liquid commonly used for metalwork.
- Electronics and assembly industry. Those who work in places like this are at high risk of irritation of the airways due to exposure to solder smoke made from rosin.
- Building construction. Construction workers working on high rise projects in big cities are more susceptible to occupational asthma. Daily exposure to dust, vehicle fumes and pollution can trigger asthma.
- Repair shop and repair place. Isocyanate is a chemical that is usually contained in spray paint. This one chemical is irritant and can trigger occupational asthma.
- Swimming pool. Swimming pools contain chlorine or chlorine so they are free of bacteria. However, chlorine mixed with urine and sweat can form chloramine, a toxic compound that causes asthma or poisoning when ingested.
- Beauty salon. In fact, a number of hair care products contain high irritants which can trigger asthma due to work. Some of them such as hair bleach that contains persulphate, and hena.
Can occupational asthma be prevented or cured?
Unlike ordinary asthma, asthma due to work can be completely cured if treated immediately. Therefore, immediately see a doctor when you experience symptoms as already mentioned earlier at work. Your doctor will check the condition and prescribe certain medications to relieve your symptoms.
However, it is important to understand that even though the symptoms have disappeared, the substances that cause them will still be a trigger for your recurrence. This means you must reduce exposure to triggers at work or avoid similar workplaces. For example by using protective devices such as mouth and nose mask cover.
In addition to avoiding the triggering factors, it is also important for you to regularly use asthma medication as recommended by your doctor. Make sure you always take asthma medicine, at least with the inhaler, wherever you go. Remember, asthma symptoms can recur anytime and anywhere.
By always carrying asthma medication, the risk of recurrence of asthma symptoms can be minimized. Last but not least, always use a mouth mask to prevent allergens or irritants from entering your airways.
