Occupational Asthma

Asthma is a chronic disease characterized by symptoms such as difficulty breathing, wheezing, coughing, and tightness in the chest. If the asthma symptoms are triggered by exposure to chemicals or other substances on the job, the condition is called occupational asthma (Tarlo & Lemiere, 2014). The symptoms of OA may begin within 24 hours of the exposure or after a latency period of weeks to months. They generally subside on weekends and holidays if the disease is true occupational asthma. Occupational exposure to chemicals may also worsen existing asthma; this is termed work-related asthma. Because asthma is a chronic but intermittent disease, it produces changes in the respiratory system that include remodeling of the lower respiratory tract, airway hyperresponsiveness, and inflammatory reactions with varying levels of eosinophils and neutrophils (Choy et al., 2015).
Approximately 10 to 12 million work days or lost every year in the United States alone, and the financial burden is high (Attarchi et al., 2014). An individual with untreated or undertreated OA may experience a loss of ability to exercise, difficulty sleeping, lost time at work or school, frequent hospitalizations, and airway remodeling (Malo et al., 2013). The effects of airway remodeling, which include increased fibrosis, muscle thickness, and mucus (see figure 1), produce a narrowed airway that can cause insufficient oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues and even