Prevention Of Occupational Asthma

Asthma is a serious illness that affects your respiratory system. An asthmatic patient finds it very hard to breathe during asthma attacks. During an attack, the airways are inflamed and as a result, air does not reach within the lungs. Asthma can result from some allergy, hereditary problems or some viral infections. It can also be caused by continuous exposure to certain environmental triggers, which one is bound to encounter because of his or her job. This type of asthma is termed as occupational asthma. One of the formal definition of occupational asthma is "A disease characterised by variable air flow limitation and/or airway hyper-responsiveness due to causes and conditions attributable to a particular occupational environment and not to stimuli encountered outside the workplace"

Do you know that there can be more than 250 workplace triggers, which can cause occupational asthma? Alarming indeed! These substances include animal substances, chemicals, and enzymes. According to Dr. Robert B. Mellins, "Some substances are known to provoke allergic reactions if there is sensitivity: detergent enzymes, platinum salts, cereals and grains, certain wood dusts, isocyanite chemicals used in polyurethane paints, some printing industry chemicals and some pesticides. In the presence of these and other agents, the victim's airways contract and excess mucus makes respiration difficult."

Some of the common symptoms of occupational asthma include wheezing, coughing, tightness in chest, suffocation or shortness of breath. All the signs can be seen when an asthmatic patient is exposed to the allergens in his workplace. In certain cases, these symptoms may occur along time after the person leaves from the place of work.

The best preventive measure of this category of asthma is to stay away from the condition which triggers an attack. You must avoid the substance, which provokes this condition within you. It may imply quitting your job or changing your career altogether. According to a medical expert, "Once away from the source of distress, the occupational asthma patient finds the asthma has disappeared. The obvious solution is for such a patient to avoid employment that involves exposure to allergenic substances."

You can also prevent occupational asthma requesting your employer to have extractor fans or improved ventilation system in the workplace. Using a mask or protective clothing can also be useful to prevent this type of asthma.

Leaving your job or changing your career is very hard at times as it may involve a lot of difficulty or expense. However, in case of occupational asthma, in most cases this is the only solution to remain safe from this disease. You can also consult your doctor in this regard who can guide you best as how to prevent occupational asthma. If your asthma is mild, certain medication can be useful to control this condition while if it is severe, your doctor will guide you accordingly. Asthma specialists, like allergists, occupational medicine specialists, or lung specialists, can guide you best in this regard.

You must preserve in mind that health is wealth. If your health is in tact, you can change your career and do something else while if you fall all the more sick being continuously a victim of occupational asthma then you may not have any way even to survive. Think well.